The wind was so strong that flames did what was thought to be impossible - jump all six lanes of U.S. Global warming exacerbates those dry conditions in the American West, and as a result of climate change, wildfire seasons are becoming longer and the blazes are increasing in their intensity, scientists say. The fire was powered by wind gusts that peaked at 115 mph and grass and brush that had grown thick and tall during a wet spring but had become incredibly dry after a summer and fall drought. Two people - Robert Sharpe, 69, and Nadine Turnbull, 91 - died in the wildfire, some 35,000 residents fled the flames, and more than 1,000 homes and businesses were destroyed in Superior, Louisville and unincorporated Boulder County. The Marshall fire was the most costly in Colorado history, destroying more than $2 billion in property. Investigators also had looked at the possibility that an underground coal seam that has burned for nearly a century under Marshall Mesa somehow ignited the fire, but Johnson said Thursday that the coal seam almost certainly did not contribute to the fire’s ignition. “It’s been a difficult time for everybody here and we’re looking forward to moving on,” Chase said. Twelve Tribes members called the fire a terrible tragedy but declined to speak at length about the investigation’s findings.Īaron Chase, who was at the compound on Thursday and identified himself as a Twelve Tribes member and a homeowner, told The Denver Post the group had little to say about the investigation other than members were appreciative of the sheriff’s and district attorney’s work. “We strongly disagree with any suggestion that Xcel Energy’s power lines caused the second ignition, which according to the report started 80 to 110 feet away from Xcel Energy’s power lines in an area with underground coal fire activity,” Aguayo said in a statement. Xcel spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo denied that the company’s equipment started the fire and called the sheriff’s investigation “flawed” and “incorrect.” Still, Xcel Energy disputed the investigation’s findings. “This fire was terribly destructive and traumatic for so many people,” Dougherty said “We make our decisions about filing criminal charges based on evidence and not based on emotion.” Investigators found no evidence that members of the Twelve Tribes intended to start the Marshall fire or that Xcel Energy was negligent in maintaining its equipment, Dougherty said. Johnson and Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty spent more than an hour Thursday morning laying out details of their investigation and how Dougherty came to the conclusion that no criminal charges would be filed in connection with the deadly Dec. “The two fires became one at some point,” Johnson said during a news conference in Boulder. About an hour later, hot particles sparking from a broken Xcel Energy electrical distribution system ignited a second blaze, he said. The most destructive wildfire in Colorado history started in two places - on the grounds of an international religious cult and from a broken power line about 2,000 feet away, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said Thursday, announcing the results of a 17-month investigation into the origin of the Marshall fire.Įmbers from a fire that was thought to have been extinguished a week earlier on the Twelve Tribes‘ property at 5325 Eldorado Springs Drive reignited under high winds and began the Marshall fire on Dec.

Cal fire incidents 2021