The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday said the investigation into the Marshall fire would likely be completed early in 2023. It also released 60 additional body-worn camera videos from emergency personnel who responded to the wildfire.
“The Sheriff’s Office plans to complete the investigation in the near future, likely early in the new year,” Thursday’s news release said. “After the final investigation and review is completed, the Sheriff’s Office will release the cause and origin report.”
All of the investigative video footage captured on Dec. 30 east of Cherryvale Road is now available to the public, the release stated. Video captured west of Cherryvale Road will not be released until the final cause and origin of the fire is released. To view images online go to bouldercounty.gov/safety/sheriff/news-and-information/marshall-fire-documents-of-interest/ and click on the video tab.
Sheriff’s staff involved in the initial response captured 266 body-worn camera recordings and 450 photos were taken using a body-worn camera photo evidence system, the release said. The sheriff’s office has collected 186 items of evidence, including 49 physical items and 137 pieces of digital evidence, such as drone footage, along with photographs taken by witnesses and investigators.
Video and photographs have been reviewed multiple times as part of the ongoing investigation.
“Investigators have followed up on more than 200 tips associated with the incident,” according to the release. “This number does not include interviews of the first responders who responded to the initial report of the fire as well as the review of photos and videos maintained by the Sheriff’s Office and other first responders.”
The sheriff’s office is working with the Boulder District Attorney’s Office, state and local investigators.
The total financial loss from December’s Marshall fire is now estimated to exceed $2 billion, cementing the wildfire as the costliest in Colorado history and making it the 10th most expensive in the United States. The fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in suburban Boulder County.
On Wednesday, the No. 2 official with the U.S. Department of Interior announced a national $228 million program to fight and recover from wildfires. More than $7 million of that will go to Colorado to help pay for more than 50 projects next fiscal year, Gov. Jared Polis said. Congress included the money in the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure act that passed in 2021.
Wildfire map
Click markers for details, use buttons to change what wildfires are shown. Map data is automatically updated by government agencies and could lag real-time events. Incident types are numbered 1-5 — a type 1 incident is a large, complex wildfire affecting people and critical infrastructure, a type 5 incident is a small wildfire with few personnel involved. Find more information about incident types at the bottom of this page.
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