Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team – Marshall Fire Update Jan. 4, 2022

Marshall Fire Update

Tuesday, January 4, 2022 – 6:00 p.m.

Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Special Safety Information:

With snow returning to the area and overnight temperatures dropping into the single digits Wednesday night, residents who have been cleared to return home should take the necessary steps to prevent pipes from freezing. Residents may want to consider turning off the main water line to the residence and draining house water lines to prevent broken pipes and potential flooding. Additionally, as residents are returning to homes, trees and some structures may be unstable and pose a hazard for those working and living in affected areas. Please be cautious.

Current Situation:

The Marshall Fire remains 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 continues to be maintaining the safety of the public and firefighters.

Due to the continued efforts of first responders, utility personnel, and supporting organizations, many areas north of U.S. Highway 36 have re-opened. Impacted areas that have reopened are only open to residents. Some areas remain under hard closure with only first responders and incident personnel allowed. The assessment of impacted neighborhoods is ongoing. Boulder County authorities are updating evacuation statuses daily once areas are determined to be safe for residents. Please visit the Boulder OEM website (www.boulderOEM.com) for the most up to-date information on evacuations and road closures.

Fire crews are diligently mopping up remaining hot spots around impacted structures in the fire area. To safely repopulate communities in timely manner and respond to emerging events within the closures, firefighters and law enforcement remain engaged through night shift duties in both soft and hard closure areas.

Increased winds ahead of the coming cold front may cause smoldering vegetation or structures to produce smoke or visible flames due to areas of heat within the fire area. Firefighters are methodically assessing each structure to ensure that they no longer pose a hazard to the fire perimeter, adjacent unburned structures, or individuals that may come into contact with those structures.

Utility companies continue restoring service and preparing systems to deliver utilities to customers. Please check websites or social media for your service provider, whether that be electric, gas, water, or telecom, for updates.

Weather: Temperatures will drop slightly on Wednesday with highs in the mid to upper 30s with snow likely across the impacted area. Overnight lows will dip into the single digits Wednesday night and winds will gust to over 30 mph during the afternoon.

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/.