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Resources for Marshall Fire victims
Damage Assessment
The Boulder Sheriff Department has published a preliminary damage assessment on January 1, 2022 in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colorado.
Damage assessment teams have compiled a preliminary list of structures destroyed or damaged in the Marshall Fire. 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.
Sheriff’s investigators are working with damage assessment teams to appropriately ascertain the level of damage. Winter weather is currently impacting that work.
The current numbers of destroyed or damages structures in other parts of Boulder County are:
City of Louisville: 553 destroyed, 45 damaged
Town of Superior: 332 destroyed, 60 damaged (numbers are estimated due to groupings of structures and new construction)
Unincorporated Boulder County: 106 destroyed, 22 damaged
Totals confirmed to date countywide are 991 structures destroyed and 127 structures damaged.
Boulder County is making the preliminary list available in order for impacted residents to get information as quickly as possible. The City of Louisville is in the process of creating a map of destroyed or damaged structures in the municipal limits of Louisville. The map will be available at www.louisvilleco.gov/marshallfire
To self-report a damaged or destroyed structure that is not included on this preliminary list, please visit www.boco.org/MarshallFireSelfReport
The Sheriff’s office, City of Louisville, and Town of Superior are working on plans to open up neighborhoods as safety allows.
Resources for residents:
For questions, to report missing people, or to report non-emergency issues, the Boulder County Call Center can be reached at 303-413-7730.
Those seeking mental health support related to the fire are encouraged to visit www.boco.org/WildfireMentalHealth for resources.
If you need to talk to someone immediately or need help navigating services, please call Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255 or text "TALK" to 38255.
Residents can also call the Victim Advocate line at 303-441-3856.
The Disability and Disaster Hotline can be reached at: 800-626-4959 (call/text)
*Note: This preliminary list represents a partial and incomplete list as of 1 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2022. Damage assessment is visual and may change upon closer inspection and structural assessment. Damage assessment investigations within the fire perimeter are ongoing and will continue over the next week.
Next Steps
As business owners and homeowners are allowed back in their neighborhood to do damage assessments, it is important to keep safety in mind. Electric shocks, gas leaks, sharp protruding objects, stray animals and more danger lurks in the aftermath of major disasters. Please wear heavy shoes, gloves, masks and proceed carefully.
Depending on the extend of the fire damage, some people may not find anything salvageable. If however the fire did not total the building, it is necessary to not enter the premises until cleared by emergency management. The structural integrity of the building may have been affected.
The Clean Up process: A reputable and experience fire mitigation company will be able to handle the clean up. Such services are usually covered under the property insurance policy. The clean up company will document their work with photos and logs in a way that will be required by most insurance carriers. However, we recommend that you take lots of photos of the damages and the clean up process.
Reporting the insurance claim: If you don't have access to your insurance information, contact your agent. If you don't remember the insurance agency name, then look up the insurance carrier's website and report the claim by calling the claims phone number. If you do not know who your insurance company is, look up your emails. Usually the insurance company or agent has communicated with you in the past.
Duties After a Loss: Most insurance policies have a provision that requires timely reporting of a loss and protecting the property and contents from further damage. If your house is still standing, please make sure that valuables are removed to a safe place as looting often occur in the aftermath of a disaster.
Things to request from the insurance agent or insurance adjuster:
- A copy of a certified cope of my insurance policy, with the declaration pages and all the forms and endorsement, via email.
- What is the deductible for fire.
- What is my allowance for additional living expenses (temporary housing, meals, expenses over and above your normal cost of living)
- Does the insurance company use a corporate relocation service to find housing for you?
- Can I get an advance check right away?
Businesses:
- If your building is a business, are you the building owner or are you renting. If you are the building owner, it is important to contact the insurance carrier. The sooner you can get an adjuster out to estimate the damages, the earliest you can get paid. However, be aware that you still have the duty to submit your claim and your own estimate, and you should not just rely on the insurance company. In a big disasters, adjusters are often in a hurry to inspect many claims. You must do your own due diligence to make sure that you recover what is needed to rebuild and what your policy covers. If you are happy with your insurance claim payment, then all is well. If you have any doubt about what was paid, hire your own insurance advocate to review the policy, evaluate the damages, and submit a complete claim demand package to the insurance company. Items like code upgrade, business interruption or loss of rents are often overlooked in the claims payments. If you don't ask, you don't get.
Temporary Housing/ Temporary office space:
It will be important to locate temporary housing and temporary office space as so that your life and your business does not stop. Even you rent instead of own the damage building, the policy may still provide some coverage for this.
This is why you should ask for an advance from the insurance company to sign a lease and pay for deposit for the temporary facilities.
Business Interruption/Extra Expenses:
Business interruption is a business coverage that reimburses businesses for any loss of income or expenses as a result of the fire. This usually requires a full financial report of past profit and loss statements, and careful tracking of all extra expenses caused by the fire. The period it takes to resume business as usual can often take a year or more due to rebuilding, permit and codes. All this needs to be taken in consideration in submitting your claim package.
Conclusion:
Due to the intricacies of the recovery process after a major disaster, it is important that you take care of yourself and your family first. There will be times when things may become overwhelming. Communicate with someone you trust if you need to. It is ok to ask for help.
One day in the future, this too shall pass and the community will be rebuilt better than before. And so will your home or business.
Sylvie Heatherington- Principal Adjuster
State of Florida License #P152228
Kent Mayfair and Associates LLC - Florida PA Firm license W831168
601 S. Harbour Island Blvd, Suite 109 Tampa, FL 33602
Florida Fraud Statement: Any person who knowingly and with intent to injure, defraud, or deceive any insurer files a statement of claim or an application containing any false, incomplete, or misleading information is guilty of a felony of the third degree.
“THIS IS A SOLICITATION FOR BUSINESS. IF YOU HAVE HAD A CLAIM FOR AN INSURED PROPERTY LOSS OR DAMAGE AND YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH THE PAYMENT BY YOUR INSURER, YOU MAY DISREGARD THIS ADVERTISEMENT.”
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