Tag: Colorado wildfire

Up to Two-Thirds of Homes Destroyed in Marshall Fire May Be Underinsured

insurers exodus from wildfire regions

According to preliminary estimates from Colorado’s insurance division, one-third to two-thirds of the homes destroyed in the Marshall Fire may have been underinsured for replacement costs (DOI). “One of the more troubling issues in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire has been the problem of underinsurance for people who lost their homes,” the Department of… Continue reading Up to Two-Thirds of Homes Destroyed in Marshall Fire May Be Underinsured

Lawsuit Alleges Power Line Sparked Colorado Wildfire

New Mexico high severity claims

The first lawsuit filed in connection with a wildfire that destroyed over 1,000 homes and other buildings in suburban Denver claims that sparks from a power line started December’s blaze. The lawsuit filed Thursday against Xcel Energy says that its power lines and equipment were a substantial factor in the cause, origin and continuation of… Continue reading Lawsuit Alleges Power Line Sparked Colorado Wildfire

Closely Built Homes Help Spread Colorado Marshall Fire

High winds 80 to 100 miles per hour fueled apocalyptic wild fires which tore across open grasslands and through homes in Superior, Colorado off highway 36. Power was cut to 34,000 homes and over 30,000 residents were forced to evacuate. Over 500 homes were destroyed by the Marshall fire outside Boulder, Colorado which was sparked by downed power lines in high winds on December 30, 2021.

Too many houses built too close together on the tinder-dry high plains between Denver and Boulder resulted in $1 billion in Marshall firestorm losses, insurance industry researchers discovered this week as they sifted through ashes and charred ruins. They were starting an investigation, similar to the work done after previous devastating fires, such as the… Continue reading Closely Built Homes Help Spread Colorado Marshall Fire

Communities Far from Flammable Forests Increasingly at Risk As Embers Flung for Miles in CO Wildfire

two silhouette on housefire background

Boulder County Commissioner Matt Jones was driving back from photographing a winter wildfire six miles from his home when his wife called to say they were being evacuated due to the same blaze. “This can’t be happening,” Mr. Jones, who had spent years fighting wildfires, recalled thinking. “Wildfires do not strike Louisville, Colorado.” The 6,067-acre… Continue reading Communities Far from Flammable Forests Increasingly at Risk As Embers Flung for Miles in CO Wildfire