Colorado fire: Marshall Fire burned over 6K acres, 62% contained

A lone flame flickers as smoke roils from the remains of a home destroyed by a pair of wildfires, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, in Superior, Colo. An overnight dumping of snow and frigid temperatures compounded the misery of hundreds of Colorado residents who started off the new year trying to salvage what remains of their homes after a wind-whipped wildfire tore through the Denver suburbs. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

by: Colleen Flynn

Posted: Jan 1, 2022 / 08:05 PM MST

Updated: Jan 1, 2022 / 08:14 PM MST

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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — The official team in charge of the Marshall Fire said 6,219 acres were burned and the fire is 62% contained Saturday night.

Nearly 1,000 structures were demolished and over 100 damaged in the inferno that sparked Thursday night through Superior, Louisville and unincorporated Boulder County. A list of those structures was released by Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Saturday afternoon.

Several crews consisting of more than 200 personnel continue to contain the fire, work on search and recovery efforts, restore power and clear locations to ensure safety to allow residents back into the area.

“Areas of significant heat still exist around some of the impacted structures. These heat sources can flare up and may be visible especially at night. It will take firefighters some time to methodically go around each structure to ensure that they are out and pose no hazard to the fire perimeter or adjacent unburned structures,” the Rocky Mountain Area Type 1 Incident Management Team said in a release.

The cause of the fire has not been determined yet but the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant as a result of a tip from the community. It was originally believed to have been started by downed power lines from strong wind gusts, but Xcel Energy said no power lines were down in the area of origin.

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 170, the initial area investigators are focusing on for the ignition site of the fire.

Officials said with an increase in temperature and winds expected between five to 17 mph on Sunday, some people may see smoke from smoldering vegetation and debris.