The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has revamped the Open Burning program. This new system features an online Open Burning Portal and an Open Burning Hotline for notifying the county of upcoming burns and burn completion. It also features a publicly available map showing the status of all permitted and registered open burns within unincorporated Boulder County. Read more about the new online open burning portal.

Marshall Together is continuing to work with Trees Across CO, the PlayBOULDER - Tree Trust, the Arbor Day Foundation, Marshall ROC, and the Community Foundation to provide trees to homeowners who are rebuilding their landscaping. They are currently sourcing and ordering trees and assessing demand for trees in the spring and fall. The purpose of the survey is to assess demand for quantity, types of trees and determine other resources which would help homeowners work on their landscaping. These trees will be #5 or #7 container trees and with the possibility of some saplings, if there is interest. Please reach out to Tim Crean - Tim@MarshallTogether.com if you have any questions.

Take the tree survey.

Recovery Navigators began helping property owners on July 25, 2022, who were impacted by the Marshall Fire and Straight-Line Wind Event. To keep the community in the loop about the progress of the program, monthly reports are posted on the Navigating Disaster website. The monthly reports share information including major activities & accomplishments, trends & concerns, programmatic challenges, future planning, client impact stories, and program data. View the December report online.

The Boulder County Commissioners have authorized the distribution of $1,663,320 in awards for the first round of grant allocations from the Emergency Services Sales & Use Tax approved by voters in 2022 as County Issue 1B.

Revenues from the tax were first collected in 2023 to help provide financial assistance to underfunded or under-resourced organizations that provide emergency services—such as firefighting and search and rescue—in the rural and mountain areas of Boulder County. Read more about the emergency services grant awarded to local fire protection agencies.

Due to a ruling by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, starting July 1, 2024, new homes with gas service are no longer eligible for Xcel Energy rebates. Consequently, their Marshall Fire rebates are changing for homes permitted on or after July 1. Any homes that were issued building permits prior to that date are eligible for the existing Xcel rebates.

Learn more about Xcel rebates for homes with new permits issued after June 30, 2024.

Colorado lawmakers have advanced legislation that voids HOA rules preventing Coloradans from hardening their homes against wildfire. The proposed bill would override HOA bylaws that prevent the use of fire-resistant materials. Many HOAs have rules dictating that fences and shingles be a certain material, often materials that are highly flammable. An analysis of the Marshall Fire found that wooden fences were an integral part of the fire's spread. Click to read the full story from CPR on blocking HOA rules on fire -resistant materials. 

Northern Water has released six new Sustainable Landscape Templates designed for the neighborhoods impacted by the Marshall Fire, prioritizing fire-smart, water-wise, and pollinator-friendly design principles. They include full front and backyard landscape plans, irrigation plans, cost opinions, plant lists, water saving estimates, construction details, a supplemental guide and more. The templates were designed in partnership with Norris Design, fire survivors, community leaders and municipal stakeholders.

The Salvation Army Intermountain Division directed $100,000 in emergency disaster funding to Marshall ROC - Restoring Our Community, to provide operational support for the Marshall ROC Recovery Center. 

"Without The Salvation Army funding, we would not be able to keep the Marshall ROC Recovery Center open, which allows us to serve the community in person and offer the many services needed," said Marshall ROC Executive Director Jeri Curry. 

For more information on Marshall ROC visit marshallroc.org.