Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson recently told a crowd of Marshall fire victims that it may take another month or two to finish the investigation into what caused the deadly December 2021 wildfire.
“Every time we think we’re done. something else comes up to investigate,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who was elected sheriff in November, commented on the investigation on March 17 during a Superior town hall meeting organized by CBS Colorado. Johnson was asked about the investigation by a man in the audience, who said residents were anxious to learn the cause.
“Me as well,” Johnson said. “My house burned down in the fire, so I want to know as well.”
Elisabeth Scanlon, a spokeswoman for the Boulder District Attorney’s Office, said the DA’s office is working with the sheriff’s office to review all of the findings by investigators, “whether it is criminal or not.” The investigative team brought in outside experts and people from state and federal agencies to study the cause, she wrote in an email.
Several people in the DA’s office are reviewing documents, photos and videos, Scanlon said.
The Marshall fire erupted on Dec. 30, 2021, near Marshall Road and Colorado 93 on a day when winds reached up to 100 mph, fueling flames through dry grasses in open spaces and into residential neighborhoods in Louisville, Superior and unincorporated Boulder County.
The fire is the most expensive in state history, causing an estimated $2 billion in damages. It destroyed 1,054 homes as well as some commercial property. Two people died in the historic blaze.
At first, then-Sheriff Joe Pelle said downed power lines likely caused the blaze, but he later walked back that suggestion, saying no evidence had been found to indicate that was what sparked the fire.
However, a class-action lawsuit against Xcel Energy blames the power company’s failure to maintain its equipment and infrastructure for creating or contributing to the fire. Late last year, a judge denied Xcel’s motion to dismiss the case.
Authorities also are investigating an underground coal seam fire under Marshall Mesa, which has been burning for nearly a century, as a possible cause. The sheriff and district attorney have hired specialists to help investigate any possible links.
Finally, the Twelve Tribes religious sect, which has a compound on Eldorado Springs Drive, also is being investigated for the possibility that members started the fire while burning something on the property. Days after the fire, the sheriff’s department cordoned off the property and served search warrants.
For months, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has said it was nearing the end of the investigation and hoped it would be finalized in early 2023.
In December, the agency posted video camera footage of the fire and rescue efforts on its website, but only for the burn zone east of Cherryvale Drive. All footage of events west of Cherryvale Drive will remain private until the investigation is complete, the sheriff’s office has said.
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