The Boulder County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wednesday (January 5) that partial remains have been located in the Marshall Fire burn area, CBS 4 reports. These remains were found in the 5900 block of Marshall Road, and authorities believe it may belong to a man reported missing during the destructive blaze. The sheriff's office and the coroner's office are working to identify the remains.
The news comes after the mayor of Superior, Colorado said two missing people were "presumed dead" in the aftermath. Cadaver dogs were reportedly dispatched during the recovery effort after the Marshall Fire torched nearly 7,000 acres of Boulder County. No updates on the second person, a woman, reported missing in Superior.
Initial reports say the fire started after 11 a.m. on December 30. Hurricane-force winds spurred the flames into a monstrous wildfire, forcing over 30,000 to flee the area. Over 1,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed. Authorities speculate the Marshall Fire originated on a property owned by a controversial religious group.
A very low number of casualties have also left disaster experts and authorities surprised, KPTV reports.
"In terms of the big picture it’s a really miraculous evacuation," Thomas Cova, a University of Utah professor who researches emergency management and wildfire evacuations, told reporters. "So close to a populated area ... spot fires everywhere and 100 mph (160 kph) winds — I think it’s incredible that’s there’s only two people missing."
Officials say it could be attributed to most people being home during the holiday season or working remotely due to the uptick in COVID-19 cases. Because the Marshall Fire affected densely-populated suburbs, most evacuees had access to vehicles plus an extensive road network.
Credit was also given to emergency response personnel, who already had experience with previous wildfire incidents.