BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — The removal of foundations of homes damaged in the Marshall Fire will be part of Boulder County’s debris removal program, the county announced Wednesday.
The Marshall Fire removal program is a coordinated effort by Boulder County, the City of Louisville and the Town of Superior with the only cost to the homeowner being a line item in their insurance proceeds.
Debris removal is expected to start by March 1. Louisiana-based DRC Emergency Services, LLC, was awarded the contract and the company said it believes it can complete the cleanup by July 1 barring any weather delays.
Local efforts to remove some debris, including burned-out vehicles, has already been completed.
The fire destroyed 1,084 homes and damaged 149 others, and destroyed seven businesses and damaged 30 more.
Officials have requested financial reimbursement assistance through FEMA to cover the cost of debris removal, which could potentially be in the range of $35-40 million.
Foundation removal is not yet part of that request, but officials are hopeful FEMA will formally agree to cover that cost down the road.
“I’m not sure what we’ll do if we can’t get federal funding for foundation removal,” Superior Mayor Clint Folsom said in a press release. “The cost is high, but the cost to the community of not proceeding with coordinated debris removal and rebuilding could be much higher.”
No additional funds will be sought from property owners participating in the coordinated debris removal program, including those who were uninsured or underinsured for debris removal, the county said.