Current Situation, Safety, Weather & Fuel Conditions and More

Boulder County, Colo. - Below is a summary from the Incident Management Team.

Special Note: The Rocky Mountain Area Type 1 Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. on Saturday, January 1, 2022. The Incident Management Team is working closely with county and local authorities to support ongoing firefighting and urgent recovery operations.

Current Situation:

The Marshall Fire is 6,219 acres and 62% of the perimeter has been contained. Approximately 200 fire personnel plus Team Rubicon, Xcel Energy, numerous law enforcement agencies, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, and Colorado National Guard are currently working on the fire and recovery efforts. The primary objective for managing this fire is public and firefighter safety while minimizing impacts to structures and repopulating communities as soon as conditions are safe to do so.

Crews are working throughout the fire area to remove any remaining areas of heat along the fire perimeter, secure structures, and ensure that the area is safe for damage assessment teams and utility crews to continue with their work. Fire personnel will continue to support these important operations as well as respond to any possible increased fire activity.

Areas of significant heat still exists around some of the impacted structures. These heat sources can flare up and may be visible especially at night. It will take firefighters some time to methodically go around each structure to ensure that they are out and pose no hazard to the fire perimeter or adjacent unburned structures.

Safety: As assessments are completed, evacuation status is updated to allow those residents to return home. Only areas that have been deemed safe are opened for re-entry. Entry into these areas is limited to residents living in that particular area. Parking and walking into areas that have not been cleared slows this process down and diverts resources from their mission which will make the clearance process take longer and can hinder response to new emergencies. Please be patient as we work to get areas open as quickly as possible and please respect the closures.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Temperatures will begin to warm starting Sunday with highs in the upper 30s to low 40s over the next several days. Wind direction will vary but will remain from 5-17 mph. Some areas of the fire may continue produce smoke from smoldering vegetation and debris.

Evacuations and Fire Restrictions: For the latest information about evacuation status, visit https://www.boulderoem.com/emergency-status/. For information on fire restrictions in Boulder County, please visit https://bouldercounty.gov/news/stage-1-fire-restrictions-begin-november-30-clarified/.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place over the Marshall Fire. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Marshall Fire Statistics: Size: 6,219 acres Containment: 62% Total Personnel: 200 plus Location: Boulder County, CO Reported: December 30, 2021 Cause: Under investigation