Colorado rebuilds after a historically devastating wildfire

WAMU 88.5 | By Rupert Allman

Published January 4, 2022 at 8:26 AM EST

A home burns after a fast moving wildfire swept through the area in the Centennial Heights neighborhood of Louisville, Colorado.

Two people are still missing after the historic Marshall Fire destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and other buildings in Colorado last Thursday.

The blaze tore through numerous suburban neighborhoods in Boulder County, forcing mass evacuations and chewing through more than 6,000 acres in just a few hours. Climatologists and meteorologists are already pointing to climate change as a driver of the rare winter fire.

With CLIMATE CHANGE, there is no FIRE SEASON anymore. Since June, the area burning near Boulder, CO has had a mere 1.5" of precipitation and record warm weather. Combine with hurricane force winds & the result is a FIRESTORM! @denverchannel #cowx #climatechange pic.twitter.com/FBe2av1nxA

— Mike Nelson (@MikeNelson247) December 31, 2021

Investigators have narrowed their search for the start of the fire to a particular neighborhood near Boulder, but it’s still unclear what triggered the blaze.