Colorado's most destructive wildfire caused by embers from old fire, sparks from power line

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JESSE BEDAYN, COLLEEN SLEVIN and MEAD GRUVER 14 minutes ago

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Embers from a smoldering scrap wood fire set days earlier outside a home used by a Christian religious communal group along with a sparking power line caused a 2021 Colorado wildfire fanned by high winds that destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and left two people dead, authorities said Thursday.

Authorities spent 18 months investigating and determined criminal charges were not warranted for either The Twelve Tribes that occupied the home or the utility in charge of the power line, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said at a news conference.

“If we were to tell you today we are filing charges, it would be wrong and unethical,” Dougherty said.

The Dec. 30, 2021, blaze in heavily populated suburbs between Denver and Boulder caused $2 billion in damage, making it the most destructive in Colorado history. Two people were also found dead after what was known as the Marshall Fire.




Read more: https://apnews.com/article/marshall-fire-colorado-cause-91aad87da67fd883b9294df1ff386865

[Marthe48]

1. No consequences for such destruction

n/t

[hlthe2b]

3. Oh, there will be plenty of civil consequences. But no evidence of arson and thus no criminality.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. The christians would say "It was god's will that we were criminally negligent, so we're excused"

Or they'd say

"1,100 homes? That's a lot of gays and trans and drug users and muslims. God's punishment."

[hlthe2b]

2. I watched the press conference live. The sheriff (lost his house & some pets as well) was very

emotional but the work appears to be pretty solid. Essentially three causes-- ignited under hurricane-strength winds-- resulted in two fires becoming one record-setting in terms of loss of houses and animals (estimated 1000 lost including wildlife, pets, and livestock). But the big thing for those of us out here is it opened our eyes to the fact that there is nowhere safe from a wild raging grass fire or wildfire when conditions come together in a perfect storm like this. That fire scared the shit out of me as the open-space grassland areas that had always been wetlands that surround me were just dry tender the past few years due to drought conditions. The rains and snow this year have made a difference, but we know that is temporary.

For all who lost and suffered from the Marshall fire, this is unlikely to bring anything but more pain but I hope they will believe the findings, given so much speculation about criminality, which was just not there.

[BigmanPigman]

5. The many fires in CA over the last 30 years

has made the task of finding evidence/source of large wildfires pretty accurate. Whether it is an electrical power line that wasn't cleared of dead trees and brush or careless homeless people, scientists are able to track down "who and what" is responsible from the start. Since there are a zillion changing factors in studying wild fires along, with Climate Change, we will all need to be more careful. And if there is a direct, definite source, then that party should be responsible financially. And, of course, unless it is just environmental and was caused by dry soil and grass and trees, you can't hold "nature" accountable