Marshall fire debris removal program underway in Superior and Louisville

NEWS RELEASE
BOULDER COUNTY
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Starting this week, teams and trucks arrived in Superior and Louisville to begin clearing Marshall Fire debris from private properties. The work is being undertaken by contractor DRC, who were awarded the contract for the Private Property Debris Removal Program. The program is a partnership between Louisville, Superior and Boulder County. 

The project, which was disrupted by lawsuits, will now clear debris from the properties destroyed in December by the devastating Marshall Fire in Louisville, Superior and unincorporated Boulder County, and is projected to take approximately four months to complete.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has committed to covering 90% of the cost of the $60 million project while the State of Colorado will cover 5% and Louisville, Superior and Boulder County will cover the rest.

Many properties will begin to see preparatory work like mobilization of vehicles and equipment and installation of fencing and other erosion control measures prior to the start of debris removal.

Commenting on the start of the work, Louisville Mayor Ashley Stolzmann said: “It’s a bittersweet day. We’ve worked so hard with our partners to get to this point in the recovery process and we can’t wait to see this debris cleared so we can start to bring our residents home. However, standing here in front the site of so many destroyed houses is still heartbreaking for me and all of our community members.

“I’m sure for many people outside of our community, the Marshall Fire feels like something that happened months ago, but for us it has been a life-changing 109 days since the fire. There has been so much work behind the scenes to support our community, but seeing the trucks on site today is a significant milestone in our recovery process and I know many people, including myself, will be celebrating it. There is a lot of work ahead, but the City of Louisville and our partners will be there for resident every step of the way.”

Superior Mayor Clint Folsom commented: “Given the scale of the destruction created by the Marshall Fire, we knew that a coordinated approach would be essential to clear debris so residents could begin the re-building process.  We are pleased this effort is now underway and are especially grateful to our county, state, and federal partners for helping to make this coordinated effort possible.”

Property owners will be notified 24-48 hours before crews arrive on-site. Each parcel will take 6-11 days to complete and will include hazards inspection, removal of metal, ash, debris and concrete, rough grading of the site, inspection and environmental soil testing.

Residents can monitor air quality throughout debris removal at https://www.bouldercounty.org/disasters/wildfires/marshallfireaq/.

Superior residents can access more information about the Marshall Fire here: https://www.superiorcolorado.gov/marshallfire

Louisville residents can read more about PPDR here: https://www.louisvilleco.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/34385/637826118426030000

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