BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Fire investigators are still working to determine the cause of the Marshall Fire that brought devastation to thousands in Boulder County.
While Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said the initial cause of the fire is presumed to be downed power lines from high winds, Xcel Energy is rejecting the idea.
The Boulder Office of Emergency Management said Friday that Xcel Energy said it has not found any downed power lines in the ignition area.
“Initial reports of the fire were from residents who claimed to have seen downed powerlines in or near the ignition area. Xcel Energy has been a very responsive and invaluable partner. At this point, they have inspected all of their lines within the ignition area and found no downed powerlines,” Boulder OEM said in a statement on its website. “They did find some compromised communication lines that may have been misidentified as power lines.”
New video obtained by FOX31 may show another potential source of the fire: a burning shed along Highway 93. The video was taken before noon at the intersection of Highway 93 and Highway 170, the initial area fire investigators are focusing on for the ignition of the Marshall Fire.