fire
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Colorado Springs officials pitch plan to make wildfire evacuation planning law
Colorado Springs city officials pitched a plan Tuesday to make the current wildfire evacuation planning steps local law, a measure residents say doesn’t address the core of their concerns around getting out of their homes safely in a major blaze. Councilman Bill Murray was among those during the back-to-back Colorado Springs City Council meetings who…
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Colorado’s drought situation improves, but snowfall still below normal
Colorado’s drought situation vastly improved this month compared to over a year ago, but experts worry about wildfire potential if the state doesn’t get good snow and rain in the spring, according to presentations at Thursday’s state Water Availability Task Force meeting. Last year’s poor precipitation has had a dramatic effect on reservoir storage across…
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First bills in the 2022 session focus on education, wildfires, crime prevention
The first 10 bills for the Colorado state Senate focus on crime prevention and law enforcement, higher education, resources for firefighters and wildfire mitigation. Most, but not all, are sponsored by the Democrats who control the chamber. In announcing the first 10 bills, Senate President Leroy Garcia D-Pueblo said that “between the pandemic, historic wildfires,…
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Colorado shifts staff, buys $24 million helicopter for year-round fire risk
The inferno that swept into Louisville and Superior last week proved the destructive power of a winter wildfire, but many of the aircraft and crews available in the late spring, summer and fall to fight massive Western blazes are not working in the heart of winter when many fire-prone states should see snow. The Colorado…
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Perimeter of Marshall fire 100% contained after burning over 6,000 acres
Firefighters reached 100% containment on the perimeter of the Marshall fire Monday evening, ending the fire’s spread at 6,026 acres, according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management. After sparking on Thursday, the blaze became the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history, destroying at least 991 structures and damaging another 127 in Superior, Louisville and…
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Nearly 1,000 structures confirmed lost in Marshall fire; 3 people missing, feared dead
Three people are missing and feared dead in the wake of the Marshall fire, the Boulder County sheriff said Saturday, and nearly 1,000 structures have been destroyed, making the blaze by far the most destructive in Colorado history. Two of the three missing persons are in Superior, and the third is in the Marshall area,…
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TIMELINE: As the Marshall Fire raced, residents fled their homes and community
It’s 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, and Brenda Leighton is shopping for fireproof cabinets and safes. She’d long debated installing them in her home in Superior. She does not know that roughly 30 minutes ago, a grass fire had ignited and would soon consume her home of 18 years. “When I went outside, I was freaking…
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LIVE COVERAGE: Marshall fire news conference scheduled for noon
Gov. Jared Polis and Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will hold a news conference at noon Sunday to release the latest details on the Marshall fire, which has destroyed nearly 1,000 homes in Boulder County, by far the most destructive fire in state history. At least three residents are unaccounted for and…
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Biden approves federal aid for Colorado in wake of Marshall Fire
President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Colorado on Saturday, opening up federal funding to support the devastation caused by the Marshall Fire. The declaration will open up federal disaster assistance for people affected by the fires and for recovery efforts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced. The money “can include grants for…
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Two reported missing in wake of Boulder County fires
Two people are still believed to be missing in the wake of the Boulder County fires, a county spokeswoman confirmed Saturday morning. Emergency responders received “hundreds of calls” in the last two days about people potentially missing, spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said. They’ve been working since to pare those down, she said, and only two have…