Lately Colorado and even national news has been dominated by the Marshall Fire, which burned well over 500 homes, possibly up to 1,000, making the Boulder-area fire now the most destructive in Colorado’s history. Firefighters on the ground were forced to battle the fire with 100 mph winds, which made it impossible for helicopters and air tankers to aid in their efforts.

The wildfire was started and invigorated by high winds. A drought made conditions optimal for flames. The exact cause, though, is still being investigated. Local firefighters struggled to locate the start of the fire at first, so the crucial beginning minutes of the blaze were spent allowing the fire to quickly grow bigger in the hurricane-force winds.

The fire burned 9 square miles by the end of the two days. As of now, one death has been confirmed: Robert Sharpe, 69. Sharpe worked in the construction industry for years, and his family thanked first responders, saying “We will be forever grateful for their diligence, compassion, and understanding as they spared no effort to find the missing.” Family members of 91-year-old Nadine Turnbull have also reported her missing, though no remains have been found so far. No more missing people have been reported, which officials see as a miracle since thousands of people had to be evacuated. 

Hundreds of families lost homes, lost possessions, lost everything, and now the community is left overwhelmed and trying to heal. The Marshall Fire is a sobering reminder of how quickly everything can change, and it’s another sad display of a Colorado town being unfairly and unnecessarily ravaged by a wildfire.