Wind-driven wildfires sweep Colorado destroying 1000+ high-worth homes

Wildfires swept communities of Boulder County, Colorado, northwest of Denver, beginning December 30, as winds in excess of 100 mph drove fires through nearly 1,000 homes and businesses by the time of the first early damages report on January 1, regional emergency management officials reported.

As of that Saturday report, the Marshall Fire, largest of the fires in the area, was said to have covered 6219 acres focused heavily on suburban developments, the Rocky Mountain Area Type 1 Incident Management Team of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group reported.

A preliminary damages statement released Sunday (January 2) showed 991 structures destroyed and 127 damaged, focused on two municipalities within the country, Superior and Louisville. Within the count, some 21 businesses were listed as destroyed or damaged.

The two municipalities, situated between Denver and Boulder, have a combined population of around 33k, census data shows.

Median home value for owner-occupied dwellings came to $587k in Louisville city, $576k in Superior, census data likewise indicates.

"It is anticipated that more structures may be added to this list as more detailed damage assessment is completed and teams inspect additional areas impacted by the fire," the Sheriff's department said in its announcement.

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