More than 150 insurance companies are suing Xcel Energy after a Boulder County investigation cited the utility company as a likely cause of the Marshall fire.
The Marshall fire broke out Dec. 30, 2021 and went on to destroy over 1,000 homes, kill two people and become the most destructive fire in Colorado history. In June, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney released the results of the 18-month investigation into the causes of the Marshall fire.
The report found two causes of the fire — a slash burn from several days prior on the Twelve Tribes property and, most likely, hot particles discharged from Xcel Energy power lines. Xcel has previously stated that it disagrees with the county’s findings.
In the county’s report, the district attorney found that there was insufficient or no evidence to pursue criminal charges, but left the door open for civil suits. Civil suits typically face lower standards for proof and evidence than a criminal prosecution.
The suit filed July 6 alleges that Xcel failed to properly maintain its electrical equipment leading to the fire that became the Marshall fire. It argues that unlike the fire from the Twelve Tribes Ignition, the Xcel ignition resulted in a rapidly spreading fire.
The lawsuit asks for compensatory relief for damages to be proven at trial.
Another lawsuit filed Monday, according to a report from Colorado Public Radio, was filed on behalf of two Marshall fire survivors.
These two suits join another one filed the same day the county released the results of the Marshall fire investigation on behalf of 24 victims of the Marshall fire.
