Investigators search for Colorado fire cause

The Marshall and Middle Fork fires tore through more than 6,000 acres, demolishing nearly 1,000 buildings—most of them homes—in Boulder County, Colo. Authorities executed a search warrant for an undisclosed private property over the weekend, but Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle declined to say whether investigators suspect arson. They have narrowed their search to a small neighborhood near Boulder where a passerby recorded a viral video of a burning shed the same day the fire started. It is unclear whether the shed may have caused the fire or caught fire from existing flames.

What are the damages? No deaths have been reported, but rescue teams are still searching for two missing people. At least six were injured. Hundreds of residents whose homes escaped the flames are without power in the burn zone. Roughly 100 Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel are assigned to help victims. President Joe Biden declared the fires an emergency disaster and major disaster, which allows some to apply for federal assistance for temporary housing, repairs, and loans.

Dig deeper: Read Kim Henderson’s report on cleanup efforts when natural disasters disrupt the holidays.