It will take at least 3 weeks before excavators start digging away at tons of charred ruins from the Marshall Fire, and once the hauling starts, it will be another four months before all of the properties are cleared. Residents should then be able to start rebuilding before the snow flies at the end of September.

A number of experts, contractors and Boulder County officials discussed that timetable during a two-hour Zoom meeting on Tuesday night, speaking directly to more than 500 displaced residents.

But they hesitated to guarantee an exact date for when the machines can start rolling.

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“When does that clock start ticking? Give us a range!” asked Boulder County Recovery Manager Garry Sanfacon.

Luke Matzke, Operations Manager for the county’s Private Property Debris Removal program, said before the tons of fire debris are hauled away, each property has to have a site inspection.

“That is the toughest question. In the next 2-4 weeks, we will start, but we need all of our ducks in a row,” Matzke said. 

Going by this timeline means the 791 properties that are currently signed up for debris removal should be ready for rebuilding by some time in September.

Residents have been frustrated with delays caused by legal disputes over how Boulder County awarded the contract for the debris cleanup. A judge on Monday tossed out a lawsuit filed by a non-profit group called Demanding Integrity in Government Spending, which accused the county of violating open meetings laws. Attorneys for the group insisted the lawsuit wasn’t holding up the cleanup, but Boulder County authorities said it was.

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Already, around 70 residents impatient with the process have dropped out of the program offered by the county and Federal Emergency Management Assistance since last month. On Tuesday night, officials said that, if residents change their minds, they could still opt in. 

DRC Emergency Services, the company which won the $60,000,000 cleanup contract, assured residents that it has the experience needed to handle the magnitude of debris from Colorado’s most destructive wildfire.

“We’re sensitive to your trials and tribulations,” said DRC’s Mark Stafford, who showed residents a power point of the company’s work, including handling debris from Hurricane Ike, the 2020 California wildfires and the Paradise Fire. “All of our clients have received 100% of FEMA funding. That’s our mantra.”

Questions from fire victims during the Zoom meeting varied, ranging from concerns about Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines to septic tank, sprinkler system and driveway removal. Some worried about burnt cars, standing retaining walls and damaged trees, while others wanted to learn about insurance payments and soil contamination. There was a question about whether homeowners can sift through their own debris to find specific lost items. (The answer is yes, as long as they let the contractor know and stay away from heavy equipment). A number of residents asked about what it would take to attempt to remove the debris themselves with private contractors, instead of going through the government-sponsored cleanup.

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Officials warned residents that navigating debris cleanup on their own can be complicated, including implementing a two-page list of environmental testing and permit requirements.

“If you expect demo and debris removal costs to exceed your insurance coverage, then it’s to your benefit to opt in to the FEMA/County program,” wrote one county administrator in the chat box.

Some of the Zoom questions centered on which properties will be first in line for the cleanup. Officials said the sequence of neighborhoods will be figured out by the end of the week.

Boulder County hopes to start debris removal next week amid questions about open meetings law violations