Investigators looking for the cause of the Colorado wildfire that destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and buildings have narrowed their search to a sparsely populated neighborhood near Boulder
The sheriff declined to offer many more details on Monday, a day after saying that the fire “originated somewhere" in the neighborhood with the burning shed.
Experts say the winter fire was rare but that similar events will become more common as climate change warms the planet and suburbs grow in fire-prone areas. The inferno broke out unusually late in the year following months of drought that included a dry fall and a winter with hardly any snow so far.
The Boulder County area known as Marshall Mesa is near the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills and overlooks the more heavily populated suburbs to the east that were devastated by the fast-moving fire, which was whipped up by furious winds blowing from the foothills. The area is surrounded by tinder-dry public open space and private grasslands.
In the search for the missing, crews were looking for a woman in the town of Superior and a man from the nearby community of Marshall. Pelle said the crews were sifting debris by hand and using small tools. “When you get a pre-evac or evacuation notice, hop to it. The residents did, and most of them are with us today,” he said.
“Is there toxic fumes? Are we OK to move back in?” asked Nancy Alderson, who said she was worried about plastics and other materials consumed in the blaze.
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