Cause of Boulder County fire remains under investigation; the public can now drop off donations for victims

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - The cause of a fire that destroyed about 1,000 homes in Colorado at the end of 2021 remains under investigation.

On Tuesday, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office provided a brief update on the Marshall Fire that ripped through Louisville and Superior on Dec. 30.

“The physical search of the Twelve Tribes property has been conducted and the property has been released,” the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office posted to Twitter. “The investigation into the cause and origin of the #MarshallFire remains ongoing. The search warrant remains sealed. We have no further updates at this time.”

Originally, the sheriff’s office thought the cause of the fire may have been downed power lines. There is no evidence to back that cause up.

The remains of at least one person were recovered in the burn area. The search for a second person continues.

The Colorado Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (COVOAD) set up a donations and resource center for those wanting to donate items to the Marshall Fire victims. COVOAD organized a physical drop-off location at the Flatirons Crossing Mall between Macy’s and Dick’s Sporting Good at 21 W Flatiron Crossing Drive in Broomfield. Those wanting to donate physical items can do so between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the week. Donations will be taken via the center/north entrance.

For a list of items that can be donated as of Jan. 11, see below:

Items not to be donated or collected by COVOAD

Baby/Child equipment: Cribs & Car Seats cannot be accepted

No Used Helmets

No projectile releasing items: guns of any type and size, (we do not have the ability to do background checks on guns), bow and arrows

No furniture–new furniture donations may be accepted at a separate site equipped to handle large items. Check back here for further details.

No home processed canned foods

All food packages must come unopened to us.

No used underwear—must come in the original packaged unopened

No prescription medication, except unopened/unexpired, over-the-counter items

Personal Hygiene items: All items must have the manufacturer’s seal intact.

No used clothing, bedding or towels