One missing person in Colorado fire found, two remain missing

Colorado officials on Sunday confirmed that one of the three people who were reported missing in the Marshall Fire has been found alive, while the two others remain missing.

During a press briefing, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said authorities were in the process the trying to local “and if possible recover those folks.” 

Pelle reported on Saturday that two people from the Superior area in Boulder County and one person from Marshall County were missing. It is unclear from which city the recovered individual came from. When reporting the missing persons, Pelle said it was unlikely that they would be found alive.

“I suspect we would have a loss of life based on the size of this fire, the speed and ferocity. I think it’s miraculous it’s just three and not hundreds,” Pelle said on Saturday. “We’re very fortunate we don’t have a list of 100 missing.”

“I know for many it seems like a surreal experience. Just a few days ago you were celebrating Christmas at home and hanging your stockings and now home and hearth have been destroyed and it’s a shock. And the reality I know just hasn’t even set in for so many folks who lost everything and for those who still aren’t able to return to their homes,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said on Sunday.

“But I want the community to know you’re not alone. The full force of the United States of America is here with the FEMA administrator, the county, the commissioners, the state all working together — it’s a long road ahead.”

Around 6,000 acres and over 1,000 homes were burned in the fire. According to Polis, the sheriff’s office is currently investigating the cause of the fire. 

According to a preliminary report from the Office of Emergency Management, 991 structures have been confirmed destroyed in Boulder County and over 120 were damaged as of Jan. 1.

The day after the fire began, the winds died down and snow began to fall in the area. Authorities said at the time that the change in weather could help in combating the fire. Polis described seeing the burned out buildings and cars covered in snow as “surreal” and “disturbing.”

As of Saturday, the Marshall fire is believed to be more than 60 percent contained.