Authorities discovered partial human remains of an adult in an area where the Marshall Fire blazed through Colorado in late December, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
The remains were discovered in the 5900 block of Marshall Road in unincorporated Boulder County, the sheriff’s office said in the press release. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office will identify the remains and determine the cause and manner of death, according to the statement.
Investigators had already been searching for a man in the same area, according to The Associated Press. Authorities are also looking for a woman from nearby Superior who was reported missing following the destructive wildfire, the outlet reported.
Only two people were left unaccounted for as of Thursday morning after the massive wildfire, The AP reported. (RELATED: REPORT: Death Toll Of Wildfires Across West Coast Rises To At Least 20)
“In terms of the big picture it’s… really miraculous,” Thomas Cova, a University of Utah professor who studies emergency management and wildfire evacuations, told The AP. “So close to a populated areas … spot fires everywhere and 100 mph (160 kph) winds — I think it’s incredible that there’s only two people missing.”
This morning I spoke to the nurse from Good Samaritan Hospital who took this stunning photo of her colleagues staring at the #MarshallFire Thursday night. Wendy says she dabbles in photography but took this photo with her Google Pixel5 phone – and hasn’t edited it. #HeyNext pic.twitter.com/DZv4x20Bpu
— Steve Staeger (@SteveStaeger) January 5, 2022
The Marshall Fire destroyed approximately 991 structures and damaged 125 others, according to a statement released by Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’s office Wednesday. Polis had previously declared a state of emergency due to the Boulder-area blazes Dec. 30.
“This devastation happened quickly and many only had a few minutes to evacuate their homes,” Polis said in the Wednesday statement. “Too many Coloradans saw a lifetime of hard work reduced to memories — first homes, businesses, community gathering places.” (RELATED: Wildfires Sweep Across Colorado, Destroying Homes And Sending Many To Hospital)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Disaster Unemployment Assistance for Coloradans affected by the fire. Additionally, the state will offer relief on state-collected taxes to those who were impacted and access to a Disaster Assistance Center for community members need to “speak with service providers from Boulder County Housing and Human Services, Public Health, Mental Health Partners, FEMA, and many other area government and nonprofit organizations, and insurers,” according to the release from the governor’s office.
The snow that fell in the area over New Year’s weekend helped put out some of the fire, NBC News reported. The Boulder Office of Emergency Management said on Wednesday evening that the Marshall Fire still spanned about 6,000 acres, although its perimeter is 100% contained.
The investigation into what caused the fire is ongoing, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. The office confirmed over the weekend that a search warrant had been executed on a property in connection to the investigation, NBC News reported.
President Joe Biden is scheduled visit Colorado to tour the affected area and discuss ways in which his administration can provide support Friday. He will be joined by Polis and Democratic Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse.