Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team – Marshall Fire Update Jan. 3, 2022

Boulder County, Colo. -- Below is a summary from the Incident Management Team for Jan. 3, 2022.

Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Special Safety Information:

The assessment of impacted structures and neighborhoods remains ongoing with evacuation statuses changing when areas are determined to be safe for residents to return to. Please visit the Boulder OEM website (www.boulderOEM.com) for the most up-to-date information on evacuations and road closures.

“Hard closures” and “soft closures” are in place across the affected area. “Hard closures” are defined as areas where only responders and support staff are allowed; “soft closures” are areas where residents are allowed restricted access to their property. Only residents with addresses within a soft closure area are allowed to enter the area. Any non-residents in the fire area, or anyone accessing areas that have not been deemed safe will continue to hamper the clearance process of impacted areas. Compliance with closures is imperative to get areas open as quickly as possible so incident responders can focus on restoring access and recovery efforts.

Current Situation:

The Marshall Fire is 6,026 acres and 100% of the perimeter has been contained. Heat still exists within the contained perimeter, which includes areas among structures. The primary objective for fire managers remains public and firefighter safety.

Crews are continuing to remove heat in vegetation and around impacted structures while preparing for the forecasted winds associated with winter weather returning to the area on Wednesday. Fire crews are working in coordination with utility crews and law enforcement to complete their work of repopulating communities in a safe and timely manner. Night shift firefighters and law enforcement remain engaged in their duties in both soft and hard closure areas.

Areas of significant heat, which have the potential to flare back up, still exist around some of the impacted structures. 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. Some areas of the fire may continue produce smoke from smoldering vegetation and debris.

Fire personnel continue to work closely with individuals from Team Rubicon, Xcel Energy, multiple law enforcement agencies, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, and Colorado National Guard on the fire and recovery efforts.

Weather: While high temperatures will remain in the mid-40s on Tuesday, there will be an increase in winds over the fire area with sustained winds 15-25 mph and gusts increasing in the afternoon to 45 mph. Snow is expected to return to the area on Wednesday.

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.