On Jan. 7, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Boulder County in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire which destroyed more property than any other fire in Colorado’s history.

President Biden pledged federal support to assist with the recovery.

“I intend to do whatever it takes, as long as it takes, to support you,” he said.

First Lady Jill Biden also thanked first responders and expressed her sympathy for impacted families and family pets.

“I would like to say, on a personal note, the governor told me how many of you lost their family pets. And you know, they’re members of the family, too, so I want to just say how terribly sorry we are for the loss of your pets because we’re animal people. So, we know what a tough loss that is,” she said.

President Biden highlighted the severity of the causes which led to the fire, stating that “the situation is a blinking code red for our nation because the combination of extreme drought — the driest period from June to December ever recorded—ever recorded; unusually high winds; no snow on the ground to start—it created a tinderbox—a literal tinderbox.”

A local Boulder realtor of 23 years who lost her family home, Alicia Miller shared a hopeful message despite the circumstances.

“In the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, my boys had the opportunity to meet President Biden and the First Lady. A bright spot in what has been an overwhelming and emotional time. Their poise and strength during all of this has warmed my heart and I couldn’t be prouder of them. Whether someone lost a home or not we are all collectively hurting and supporting each other. The love and support of this community will carry us through this dark and difficult time,” she said.

Accompanied by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, and Congressional Representative Joe Neguse, the President and First Lady spoke with Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle while touring the impacted neighborhoods. Pelle’s nearly 20 year career began with the 2003 Blizzard which was one of the worst blizzards recorded in history since 1872.

Under Pelle’s leadership, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office would go on to respond to the 2003 Overland Fire, the 2009 Olde Stage Fire, the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire, the 2016 Cold Springs Fire and the 2020 Calwood and Left Hand Canyon Fire. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the flooding in 2013 and assisted the Boulder Police in responding to the 2021 King Soopers mass shooting.

Pelle learned that the fire had destroyed Louisville Police Chief Dave Hayes’ home and Boulder County Sheriff’s Division Chief Curtis Johnson’s home.

“You just put yourself in their place. They don’t have underwear. They’re out working with the clothes on their back in a company car and that’s all they got. That kind that chokes you up thinking about that. This starts becoming really personal at that point, because it’s not just business anymore. You’re not just trying to accomplish tasks. You’re grieving for people,” Pelle said in a 9 News interview.

Pelle will retire in January 2023, ending a 19-year term. He reflected on Boulder County’s recoveries to past challenges during his time as Sheriff.

“Within a couple of years…things are rebuilt… the economy’s going again. People are working,” Pelle said. “We will get through this. It’ll be okay.”

Curtis Johnson, who has been endorsed by Pelle in his run for Sheriff, reflected on the loss of his family home of 23 years.

“People will tell you, ‘you don’t know what it’s like to lose everything until you do,’” Johnson said. “I get that now. I don’t have anything,” he said.

On Jan. 21, Sen. Bennet and Rep. Neguse welcomed $720,890 in funding through the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership (Joint Chiefs’) for the Southern Front Range Watershed Project in Colorado. The Joint Chiefs’ program supports efforts to reduce wildfire risk, restore forest ecosystems, and improve water quality in the West.

This came shortly after Neguse announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would open applications for Fire Safety and Prevention Grants (FS&P) on Jan. 18, to make millions in direct aid available to the local fire departments and first responders impacted by the Marshall Fire.

Grants from these funds can include “assistance for firefighter safety and management programming, research and development projects to help communities respond to extreme and hazardous conditions and other programs to help firefighters recover from the effects of the disaster.”

Neguse stated that “as the Boulder County community heals from the tragic devastation of the Marshall Fire, we must continue to provide needed aid to help fire departments. These grants, which are primarily funded through the American Rescue Plan, will provide millions to state and local leaders who are working to ensure our communities are protected from future tragedies of this magnitude.”

Jennifer Balch, fire scientist and director of the Earth Lab at CU Boulder, provided a Q&A for Colorado Public Radio, on the conditions which led to the winter wildfire which warrants concern for wildfires year-round. Balch emphasized that Colorado’s record warm temperatures “across the Front Range between June and December were the warmest on record going back to the early 1960s.”

Beth Fredricksmeyer, a local mortgage lender and Boulder County resident, shared key things to know if you have been impacted by a disaster:

“Contact your mortgage servicer as soon as possible, ask to speak with a disaster specialist. Make sure to continue making your payments. If you believe you may have difficulty continuing to make timely payments, communicate this to your servicer prior to becoming delinquent. Most servicers have an option for disaster forbearance. Also, begin the discussion of what will happen at the end of the forbearance – is there an option to take the amount in forbearance to the end of the loan or spread the repayment over several years. The most important thing is to make sure you are always staying in close communication with your servicer.”

A comprehensive list of resources, contacts, and next steps can be accessed through Colorado State University’s “After the Disaster Guidebook for Boulder County: A Toolkit for Communities Impacted by Wildfire” via BoulderCounty.org. Any community members donating and supporting recovery efforts should be aware of scams and fraud. Additional resources, hotlines, and information can be found on Boulder County’s Marshall Fire page.

As of Jan. 28, the Sister Carmen Community Center in Lafayette has helped nearly 646 households affected by the fire with gift cards, hotel vouchers, food, clothing and more. Those households include more than 2,000 individuals.

Andrea Ostroy, the advocacy response manager for the center, also confirmed that $330,000 in gift cards and hotel vouchers and 15,000 pounds of food have been donated.

“Even though these families are different from maybe a U.S. resident or a citizen, they’re still humans at the end of the day. We should show compassion and kindness and realize one day we’re on the giving end, and another day we’re at the receiving end,” said Abi Ocampo, the bilingual advocate and cultural ambassador at Sister Carmen.