The Front Range was under high fire danger Tuesday as extremely dry weather and high winds created perfect conditions for wildfires to spread rapidly.

A fire weather watch went into effect a day after a grass fire that sparked between Broomfield and Louisville on Monday afternoon demonstrated just how quickly small fires can become major threats. The blaze, ignited by a spark from a combine, spread 35 acres across a cornfield near Dillon Road and South 104th Street.

Dashcam video from North Metro Fire showed winds whipping flames and smoke across roadways as firefighters worked to contain the fire.

The flames forced evacuation orders, including at a nearby horse stable.

Jimmy Shviraga and Michelle Plonus, the owners of CloudView Stables, said they had to evacuate 45 horses from their property on Monday afternoon. Thanks to help from people in the horse community, they said they were able to get all the animals out safe.

"When you can see flames so close to your barn, you know you have to act quick," said Plonus. "We had our horses all evacuated within like two and a half hours."

The two said the last time they had to evacuate their barn was during the Marshall Fire.

"So this is round two for us as far as wildfires go," said Shviraga.

Paul Ostroy, the fire management officer for Mountain View Fire Rescue, said the 35-acre fire was more challenging to fight because of hay stacks on fire.

"Haystack fires are a little different in their, in the way that they are kind of conformed," said Ostroy. "The fire can stay interior within the pile and make it very difficult to find where it's at."

As firefighters faced another day of dangerous conditions, Ostroy explained how crews prepare for red flag warning days with lower humidity, higher temperatures, and strong winds.

"It doesn't just start from this morning. This has started way earlier on, knowing that these events are going to happen, talking with the National Weather Service, planning our staffing here locally," said Ostroy. "We've definitely seen a little bit more drying trend and warming trend, where our catastrophic incidents have been a little bit greater in their intensity."

He said on windy days, firefighting strategies may shift from offensive to defensive approaches.

"Strong winds do create havoc on the wildland fire scenario," said Ostroy. "As much as we want to fight the fire in front of us, sometimes we have to look in advance and plan farther ahead."

Instead of attacking fires directly, crews may retreat to protect homes and businesses as their priority.

Fire officials are reminding residents that outdoor burning, fireworks and grilling are not allowed during these dangerous conditions. They're also asking people to avoid using chainsaws, weed whackers and lawnmowers that could create sparks and lead to fires.

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. New homes stand tall in many of the neighborhoods that were burnt in the aftermath of the historic Marshall Fire, which damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Superior, Louisville and Boulder County amid hurricane-force winds and extreme drought conditions.

The Coal Creek Ranch neighborhood in Louisville has gone through one of those dramatic transformations, with new residences dotted along the streets and a handful of homes still under construction.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Kleinschmidts were unloading snacks and drinks into their brand new home on their old plot of land in preparation for a gathering with their neighbors. The family plans to move into the home over the weekend, but wanted to celebrate the milestone first.

"We lost our house in the fire four years ago today, and we weren't going to rebuild a house. And then we changed our mind and decided to rebuild, and we just got the keys last week," said Kate Kleinschmidt, while unpacking items to make spiced nuts for the party that night. Just kind of slowly and surely getting things over from our current abode over to the new place.

It feels weird moving into a house where we used to live, and we lived here for a couple years before we didn't, and all of our neighbors have been back for a while," said Nick Kleinschmidt.

One of the reasons the Kleinschmidts decided to rebuild was the community they are surrounded by within the Coal Creek Ranch neighborhood.

We've just had a lot in the last six months coming out and visiting with them, seeing everybody getting back into their houses. It really feels like we're getting back into the community where we used to live," Kate said. It's exciting to be close to the people that we've gotten to know so well over the past few years through the journey too."

It was a journey the family never wanted, but they are no longer defined by the destruction of the fire and instead said they have discovered the recipe for resiliency throughout the process.

How do you make lemons out of lemonade? And you have this lot, and you own it, you can build the house of your dreams on it. Why don't we? Why not? Lets do it," Kate said with a smile.

Kate remembered the sky filled with smoke on Dec. 30, 2021. She and the young children left the home without any idea they would never come back.

Meanwhile, Battalion Chief Tim Mallon with Mountain View Fire Rescue was a captain at the time of the Marshall Fire. He was one of the first crews fighting the blaze, which the Boulder County sheriff believes was sparked by two separate fires. According to the sheriff's investigation, the first fire was likely sparked by a resident's buried fire from about a week prior and the second likely began as a result of a disconnected Xcel Energy power line. Xcel Energy has disagreed with the investigation's findings in the past.

No matter the cause, the conditions of that dramatic day cannot be disputed.

"It was like a blowtorch, really," Mallon said, explaining how the wind and dry fuels fed the fire. When I say it was blowing hard, I mean, the vast majority of the firefighters lost their helmets during this.

With grit and ash filling his eyes, Mallon said his body went into work mode.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I've been on a lot of those [similar] fires in California, Montana, and I've seen events like this. It wasn't in my backyard, so it wasn't as emotional, but I felt like I had some experience in that," Mallon said. We all recognized from the get-go that this was going to be very challenging, very difficult to contain.

For Mallon, the fire feels like it was yesterday. The fight was more about saving lives than structures, and it was the most extreme event in Mallon's 22-year career.

You can look at all the national data, but we're starting to see larger and larger fires, and they're starting to hit communities," said Mallon. "They're not restricted to the forests anymore, and a lot of that is our choices as human beings, where we're building our properties... The dryness, the location of our housing, and the wind those things don't play well together.

Anxiety connected to powerful winds is a reality that plagues Boulder County. That fear reared its head again just before the Christmas holiday, when powerful hurricane force winds swept throughout the state. Thousands of Colorado Xcel Energy customers were intentionally without power as part of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), which are intended to mitigate wildfire risk from damaged lines.

Research Physical Scientist Eric James, who works at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said accurate forecasting makes a decision like a PSPS possible.

We just have had such a dry autumn. We had that one snowstorm earlier in December. But other than that, it's been very, very dry for the last few months, and the weather service was on top of that with red flag warnings and strongly worded warnings days in advance of this, even talking about potentially shutting off power, which they Xcel ended up doing," James said. "I think the forecasts haven't been good enough until recently to be able to take a step like that. It's a very drastic step. You know, you have to have confidence, because it's got major risks. (If) something doesn't happen, people are going to be really upset. The forecasts are now accurate enough to be able to do that.

James believes the power shutoffs were likely the right decision, given the high winds and dry conditions. Mallon agreed that the response was a proactive approach.

"You see what Xcel decided to do shut down the power and I know that's a huge interruption, but it's possibly saved fires (from happening) and therefore people's houses and lives," said Mallon. "I think the hardest thing for us is to be diligent. I think the further we get away from the event, the less we're going to be noticing it or caring about potential consequences. What I would hope is that we remember this for what it was, and it was life-altering for a lot of people, and that we stay on guard and continue to fund the agencies and the programs that are trying to do the right things, and we keep a focus on it.

Dr. Andy Hoell, research meteorologist at NOAA, leads a team on the early warnings of drought and its compounding and cascading effects, which includes fire.

"I'm not going to give my impression of the power shutoffs, because that's probably a little bit outside of my zone, but I will say this: It was exceptional," Hoell said. "It was actually very regionally specific... And it really speaks to the complexity of our weather, of our climate, especially in this area the Front Range.

According to Hoell, fire is likely one of the more understudied phenomena within the meteorology and Earth sciences community. However, he said the understanding of the conditions that create a fire is growing through technologies like monitoring and forecasting conditions, and through events like the Marshall Fire.

We learn a lot through the extreme events that we live through, and every extreme event is an opportunity for us to be able to apply that information to a future situation, a forecast, using that forecast to inform a decision, and ultimately to protect lives and property," said Hoell.

Hoell said a combination of factors are to blame for such catastrophic natural disasters, such as the Marshall Fire.

"Events like the Marshall Fire and fires like it, whether it's here in Colorado or elsewhere, they're caused by sequences of unfortunate events that happened over the course of several months," Hoell explained. You think about the Marshall Fire. We had a very wet spring, and because of that, we had a lot of vegetation grow. But then we had a very warm summer, a very warm fall, and a very dry fall, and that vegetation became very dry, and all it took on a given day in December was some sparks, some extreme winds, and there we go.

The Kleinschmidts believe any proactive measures that can prevent a fire are worth it in the long run.

To me, it seems like the right direction. I don't want anybody else's house to burn down because of a power line," said Kate. "I'd rather take a small inconvenience of losing power for a day or two rather than having to have anybody else go through what we went through.

According to data recorded by Boulder County, roughly 800 homes have been completely rebuilt after the Marshall Fire.

For the Kleinschmidts, moving into their new home feels like an ending to this long process.

"It starts to feel like a little bit of a bookend on the end of this journey and story," said Kate. "It's felt continuously unfinished for the past four years. It's like, well, we still own the lot. Well, the house is still being rebuilt. Well, we still have to move. And hopefully in a couple weeks, we'll be moved and we'll be able to kind of restart.

LONE TREE, Colo. - A group of young teens was caught on camera holding up traffic, doing stunts, and speeding around Park Meadows Mall on October 4. It's a scene becoming more common across the Denver metro area as electric motorcycles and e-bikes become more popular with teens.

"In recent months, there's been a significant uptick in juveniles riding where they shouldn't be riding, riding recklessly, riding through traffic and creating unsafe conditions for everybody on the road, not just themselves," said Lt. Joe Deland with Lone Tree Police Department.

Back in October, in Louisville, a 15-year-old riding an electric motorcycle at night was hit by a car while on the roads without headlights, a driver's license, or registration. Officers in this case acknowledge that many younger riders and parents do not know what is legal and where these types of vehicles are permitted.

Aurora Police tell Denver7 that this type of behavior is becoming a growing problem among middle school-aged children, particularly in District 3. City leaders recently passed a new ordinance that fines parents if their child is caught on the road on an unpermitted bike.

In Denver, the use of motocross bikes/dirt bikes is illegal in the city and county. Anyone using those on roads, sidewalks, or parks could be cited and fined.

Lone Tree police say issues can arise when teens get their hands on Class 3 e-bikes or electric motorcycles.

Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are the most commonly seen. They have pedals and are assisted by a battery. The maximum speed is 20 mph. There are no age restrictions for riders, and they are allowed on some trails and in bike lanes.

"A Class 3 cannot be ridden on trails or sidewalks. Class 3s have to be ridden in bike lanes. You have to wear a helmet, and you have to be 16 years of age to ride a Class 3," said Lt. Deland.

The fact that the bike can go up to 28 mph comes with the added restrictions.

Electric motorcycles can be ridden on the road as long as they are registered with the State of Colorado and the operator has a driver's license.

"The problem is parents not understanding the class systems, and they're buying their children these very high-performance bikes that are capable of high speeds, which can cause a safety concern to everybody on the road," said Lt. Deland.

Electric motorcycles are not allowed on trails or sidewalks.

"I'll leave it to the parents to make that decision based on all the information they can gather. But some bikes are appropriate for kids under 16 that do go only a certain amount of speed, which is 20 miles an hour," said Lt. Deland.

Police departments that Denver7 spoke to are encouraging parents to do their homework before doing any holiday shopping for their younger teenage kids.

It is against Colorado State law to operate a Class 3 electric-assisted bicycle on any street, highway, or path if the operator is under 16 years old.

Online, there are plenty of Class 3 and e-motorcycles for sale, with descriptions specifically targeting teens. Some even say the product is for "Age 13+" users, so it's important for parents to know what they're buying.

"I would encourage parents to do their due diligence. Retailers may or may not understand what the rules and regulations are in Colorado, so it's going to be incumbent upon the parents to do their own research," said Lt. Deland.

"What are key descriptions that parents should look out for to note, 'This is probably not what I wanted to get?" asked Denver7 Reporter Danielle Kreutter.

"They need to look for maximum speed. How much of the battery will assist in the speed of the bike itself? So they want to ensure that it's not more than 20 miles an hour," said Lt. Deland.

At this point, Lone Tree police won't be issuing tickets for the violations.

"Our goal is to educate the public to hopefully avoid something terrible from happening. We do not want a tragedy to occur on our roads," he said. However, they may consider ticketing the kids and maybe even the parents in the future if the problem continues.

For more resources on determining which type of bike is allowed where, click here.

Residents of Superior are joining a national effort to lobby for the passing of ZIP code reform bills in Congress, as the Colorado town remains without a ZIP code of its own.

Superior Mayor Pro Tem Jacob Serbu traveled to Washington D.C. with other leaders across the state to advocate for Senate Bill 2961 and Senate Bill 1455.

Overall, there's 29 states that are looking at getting zip codes for their communities. 69 of those communities are pushing for Senate Bill 2961 and 14 communities are pushing behind Senate Bill 1455. So in total, there are 83 communities in 29 states that are looking to get their own zip codes for their communities, Serbu said.

There are many ways residents benefit from having a zip code, according to Serbu, and its not just a sense of community.

The biggest thing are sales taxes, Serbu said. Every time Superior would go up to a point of sale online, it would default to Louisville, so we would essentially be losing tax revenue to our neighbor.

Then theres insurance rates. Serbu said premiums are tied to the number of accidents and claims.

When you're grouped into a larger demographic, such as we are with Louisville, we're getting the lack of a benefit of having higher incident rates, he said. We'd like to see our residents hopefully pay a much lower amount of money than they currently spend on their insurance premiums per year."

Perhaps, most concerning is a delay in emergency services.

Ambulances can be going to the wrong address in a town when they could have been going to a town 20 miles away or 20 minutes away, certainly lengthening the time of crisis for an individual, Serbu explained.

Serbu said Superior tried to get a zip code back in 1993 and 2000, and the U.S. Post Office told them, No.

We're trying it again right now. We're pushing really hard, and we're willing to push this stone up the hill as many times as it takes for our communities, Serbu said.

He does plan to travel back to the nations capital if needed. The process to get a zip code wont be quick, Serbu said. It could take until next fall until we see something done.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. Every morning, Travis Ramos walks into the past and saves it.

He works in Louisville restoring vintage Volkswagen buses built between 1968 and 1979. You could say he lives for the past. Its not a bus-sized passion its more caboose-sized.

"This is it," he said as he walked across the street to a piece of land with a vintage caboose and boxcar on the corner of Pine Street and Courtesy Road.

For five years, this was Travis vision. He put thousands of hours into restoring the 1913 caboose, finding a Colorado and Southern boxcar, laying track in the exact spot where the railway rolled through town a century ago all to welcome visitors to the gateway to Louisville.

In 2020, Denver7 shared the story of his goal to protect the Louisville Caboose, which was a piece of local history he believed was worth saving.

"Our town is important to us," Ramos said in 2020. "And not losing that history is important, because I feel like you see it over and over. I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, and you see big business come in, box stores, whatever it might be and you kind of see a small town die."

Watch Denver7's 2020 report on the passion behind saving the historic caboose in the video below.

But now, after five years of dreaming and sweating and hoping, Ramos is calling it quits.

He just put the whole thing up for sale.

Its website now reads: "As much as we wish it were different, our family can no longer continue The Railyard project; we're looking to sell the property to someone who wants to shape the East Gateway to downtown Louisville with intention and heart."

"When the writing started to be on the wall that we likely couldnt carry this project forward, I went through all the emotions, right? Anger and frustration, grief and all those things, trying to process five years of working toward this goal," Ramos told Denver7. "Were not making money on this this was never a thing to make money trying to bring something beautiful to our community. Seeing that just go away for reasons out of my control yeah, it's hard.

Travis thought that they really built momentum with the community and with the city government. It seemed everybody wanted to see this project to the goal line. But he said the goal posts kept shifting.

He has spent $289,000 on land, new roofs for the caboose, grading analyses, photo metric analyses $8,000 here and there. He said they were hemorrhaging money that they just didnt have.

What would the miracle look like? Travis said honestly it would take someone with the same vision and a lot of money. He said he knows that in the most likely scenario, a developer will buy it, the train cars will disappear, and condos will go up.

I hesitate to think about what the miracle would be because I have to think of it through the lens of taking care of my family and so the miracle for us is being financially whole," he said. "We just have to make that happen, but if I can wave a magic wand and say we are financially whole on this project, then the miracle would be someone, or a group of people or crowdfund, would say, 'We want this. Well put up our money or time to keep it here. It deserves to be here.'"

DENVER Xcel Energy, along with two telecommunications companies, has agreed to settle a lawsuit involving "virtually all" of the thousands of people and companies impacted by the devastating Marshall Fire in 2021, the company said.

The energy provider along with telecommunications companies Qwest Corporation and Teleport Communications America, LLC reached agreements in principle, Xcel Energy announced in a press release on Wednesday. Once the settlement is finalized, it will resolve all claims. The company said it expects to pay about $640 million related to these settlements.

READ MORE: All Denver7 coverage of the Marshall Fire and the aftermath

One of the many attorneys representing plaintiffs in this case also confirmed this settlement to Denver7, but did not provide any further comment. Another attorney representing some of the plaintiffs told Denver7 a number of them have "definitely have not settled," however, he added he is not at liberty to discuss further.

Jury selection for a civil trial was expected to start this week.

The Denver Post was the first to break the news on Wednesday.

In September 2023, a judge agreed to consolidate several lawsuits against Xcel Energy, representing hundreds of survivors, into one case.

The fast-moving fire in Boulder County was reported around 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021 amid exceptionally dry conditions. The blaze, fueled by hurricane-force winds and dry fuels, ran east for 6,000-plus acres, destroying more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Superior, Louisville and unincorporated Boulder County. More than 35,000 people were evacuated. Two people Edna Nadine Turnbull, 91, and Robert Sharpe, 69 died. An estimated 1,000 pets also perished.

The Marshall Fire quickly became the most destructive fire in Colorado history, with about $2 billion in losses.

An investigation by the Boulder County Sheriff's Office found that the devastating fire began as two separate blazes the first was likely sparked by a resident's buried fire from about a week prior and the second likely began as a result of a disconnected Xcel Energy power line. After examining Xcel Energy power lines after the fire, investigators found that the line had disconnected from a cross arm and was hanging low enough to touch a support brace. After the line broke, smoke and flames were seen near the base of that power pole, the sheriff's office said. The Boulder County District Attorney said based on the extensive investigation, no criminal charges were appropriate.

Watch the full 2023 press conference on the origin and cause of the Marshall Fire in the video below.

However, Xcel Energy said on Wednesday that all plaintiffs in this litigation, which includes Boulder County, have "abandoned and directly repudiated the theory of Xcels involvement in starting the Trailhead Ignition that was previously put forth by Boulder County," a trial brief document reads.

Instead, the plaintiffs have a new theory, the document reads: "A loose piece of stainless steel lashing wire on a telecommunications line owned by Teleport (a subsidiary of AT&T) allegedly swung up and contacted Xcels powerline."

Xcel Energy said this new theory "will fare no better at trial" than the original civil case against the company, stressing that a group called Twelve Tribes was responsible. The Twelve Tribes property is where the buried fire reignited and was the other cause of the Marshall Fire listed by the sheriff's office.

The settlement does not mean they are admitting any fault or wrongdoing in connection with the fire.

Despite our conviction that PSCo (Public Service Company of Colorado) equipment did not cause the Marshall Fire or plaintiffs damages, we have always been open to a resolution that properly accounts for the strong defenses we have to these claims," said Bob Frenzel, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy on Wednesday. "In resolving all liability from the claims, this settlement reinforces our longstanding commitment to supporting the communities we serve. We recognize that the fire and its aftermath have been difficult and painful for many, and we hope that our and the telecom defendants contributions in todays settlement can bring some closure for the community.

In an interview with Denver7 Chief Investigator Tony Kovaleski, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said he hopes the settlement will help people "continue to recover and rebuild."

"Having been the district attorney since 2018 and then during the Marshall Fire and since then, it's been incredible to see victims and community members rallying around each other and rebuilding and recovering, but there's still so much trauma and financial loss for the people who are impacted by the Marshall Fire," he said. "I've been to so many community events and spoken with so many people, including people that I work with, who were impacted by the Marshall Fire, and it's impacted their lives for so long. And I think it'll stay with them forever. So, I think any possible settlement will hopefully allow for those impacted to move forward with their lives and continue to rebuild their lives and also their homes."

Watch Denver7 Chief Investigator Tony Kovaleski's full interview with the district attorney, where he asked Dougherty for his reaction to the settlement.

Kovaleski asked if money can truly fix what happened, and Dougherty responded, "No, of course not," especially for those who lost pets and loved ones. But it will help a great deal of people, especially those who were under-insured and having difficulty rebuilding, he said.

In the wake of Xcel's announcement, Denver7 spoke with Della Gibson, a Superior woman who lost her home in the Marshall Fire.

"I think we can move forward now, just live our lives," said Gibson. "You know, it's a new beginning."

In March 2023, our team was there when crews used a crane to drop in her new prefabricated home in Old Town Superior.

"It was a little mining community before," said Gibson. "Now, we have all these big, beautiful homes, but like I said, it's a new beginning, so it's nice; it's all what we make of it now."

Superior Mayor Mark Lacis echoed that sentiment in an interview on Wednesday.

"What this does is it provides closure, it provides certainty, and saves people the time, money and expense of having to sit through that trial, go through all the emotions of hearing all the evidence," Lacis said.

KK DuVivier, professor at the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law, agreed.

"It still might not cover everything for people, but they'll get something which is good," she said. "And they don't have to go through the trauma of the trial and reliving all of the testimony."

DuVivier also told Denver7 she wasn't surprised the energy provider decided to settle instead of going to trial.

"They don't want a Boulder jury to make a finding that they are responsible, right?" she said.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. Glenn Goodson thought he found a great deal buying his ebike online. Instead, he found himself stuck.

Theres no place to get your bike repaired," he wrote to Denver7 Investigates. "They might send you the part to fix it, but thats not guaranteed."

Goodson eventually shipped the bike back, but said the experience was a warning to riders drawn to internet bargains.

At EBike of Colorado in Louisville, owner Randy Caranci said this scenario is all too common. His shop, like many others, no longer services electrical issues with most directtoconsumer ebikes.

"If its a mechanical issue, well fix it, but if its an electrical issue we dont want to touch it because of the liability," Caranci said.

Six years ago, one customer brought an onlinebought ebike into Caranci's store. He said the battery overheated and began to smoke.

We removed it immediately and brought it outside, Caranci said.

Now, E-Bike of Colorado requires e-bike owners to remove their batteries before entering the store.

Caranci said another problem is the lack of manufacturer support. Many directtoconsumer brands wont sell parts to bike shops or honor warranty work, leaving shops to store broken bikes for months while owners wait for overseas parts.

Benedict Wright, education manager for Bicycle Colorado, said most brickandmortar shops hes spoken with wont service unfamiliar overseas brands. A big reason: risk and uncertainty.

Insurance concerns add another layer, with some carriers advising shops not to service certain ebikes at all.

While some riders buy online, thinking theyre saving hundreds, Wright said they may not factor in the longterm cost.

Are you getting a better value out of something you ride for years, or something cheaper that sits in the garage after six months because no one will fix it? he asked.

Both Wright and Caranci suggest buyers research safety certifications and confirm with local shops whether theyll service the brand before purchasing. Buyers in Colorado should also note that state ebike rebates only apply to bikes bought at brickandmortar locations.

"I think the consumer needs to be educated, and thats what were here to do," Caranci said.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. Sunflowers grow tall even in harsh conditions. One Louisville neighborhood that was destroyed in the Marshall Fire is now covered in these symbols of resilience three years later.

The wildfire sparked on December 30, 2021, and damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Superior, Louisville and Boulder County amid hurricane-force winds and extreme drought conditions.

We feel much closer since we went through the same troubles that we never thought about before, said Tad Pilinski, one of the many residents who lost everything in the Marshall Fire.

Three years and nearly seven months since that fire changed so many people's lives, many residents are finally back home.

When you drive through the neighborhood, everything is new, Pilinski noted.

On Thursday, the Louisville community put the fire even further in the past by reopening two beloved parks, Sunflower Park and Enclave Park.

These were the two parks that were most heavily impacted by the Marshall Fire three and a half years ago, said Adam Blackmore, City of Louisville director of parks, recreation, and open space.

The City of Louisville was able to restore the parks to their former glory thanks to a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.

It continues to just be kind of a beacon of realization of the tragedy that this community experienced, and the resilience and the toughness and the can-do attitude that comes along with trying to rebuild, Blackmore said.

It's just another reminder of how the community continues to persevere.

Its part of the neighborhood, of course, and we used to see it every day. We used to live seven years before the fire, so it was part of the community, Pilinski said. So now it's good to have it back.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. More than three years after the Marshall Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses, survivors tell Denver7 they are still feeling burned by the insurance industry.

On Monday, about 50 neighbors who had homes damaged or destroyed by the wildfire met with state lawmakers in Louisville, asking questions and sharing personal frustrations with the rebuilding process. They asked questions about what can be done to make the insurance process simpler amid rising premiums. Some neighbors raised concerns that while they had received insurance payouts, they were still paying interest on mortgages their mortgage companies should have already resolved.

Extreme Weather Survivors, a nationwide group that brings communities together and directs them to resources following natural disasters, organized Mondays meeting. Neighbors were invited to share their experiences and write postcards to state and federal lawmakers about their experiences and what they want to see change.

There are still people in this community that are struggling to rebuild, said Colorado State Rep. Kyle Brown, a Democrat representing District 12 in Boulder and Broomfield counties. He joined State Senator Judy Amabile at Mondays meeting.

One of those still struggling to rebuild is Judi Kern, who is a Louisville City Council member.

My home was a total loss that day, said Kern, who told Denver7 she attended Mondays gathering to hear community concerns so she could better advocate for changes her neighbors want to see.

One issue she knows personally is the community being underinsured after the fire.

We had about 50% of the home dwelling coverage needed to actually rebuild our home, she explained. The insurance company paid us out. They admittedly said, You are so severely underinsured that we will go ahead and pay you the policy. But there was just no way to have a home built for that [amount].

A study that included University of Colorado Boulder researchers found 74% of policyholders were underinsured after the Marshall Fire, and 36% were severely underinsured, with coverage limits less than three-quarters of their homes replacement cost.

Some community members, including Kern, told lawmakers they wish there was more clarity about how much coverage they were buying.

I think what I continue to hear is that people want more transparency, said Brown. They want more accountability from their insurance companies.

Brown sponsored House Bill 25-1182, which was signed into law this year. It requires insurance companies to share information about their wildfire risk models and scoring and take into account the steps homeowners take to lower their wildfire risk.

Insurance companies need to price that into their policies so that your premium reflects the mitigation efforts that you and your community, and maybe your county, have done to make sure that your home is less risky, Brown told Denver7.

Denver7 reached out to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, which said the law is an opportunity for transparency and education regarding wildfire risk mitigation, but its also tied to science-based standards, so not all mitigation will lead to a discounted premium. The group added, however, that the law and the issue in general are complicated.

Both Brown and Amabile talked about the need for compromise when working with the insurance industry to make changes.

Insurance companies need to be held accountable, they need to be transparent about what they're doing, said Brown. But there are ways that we could drive the insurance companies out of Colorado entirely, and it's important for us to work with them to find workable solutions so that people are protected.

It doesn't serve anybody if we don't have any insurance available in Colorado because we've put up too many rules and made it too onerous and too expensive to offer insurance in Colorado, he added. So we need to make sure that we are protecting consumers but also making insurance more available and affordable.

Another potential solution for some Coloradans is rolling out this year. The Colorado FAIR Plan is a last-resort policy that offers actual cash value up to $750,000 for losses from fire or lightning for those who have been rejected at least three times by standard insurance companies.

Kern hopes to break ground on a new house here this fall, but many of her friends have since had to move to rebuild somewhere cheaper.

I would like to see nobody go through what we went through, the fear that you call your insurance company the day of an event and you think you're going to be okay, and then within a week, maybe two, you find out you don't know if you're ever going to be able to come home, and you've lost everything you have, she said. At a bare-bones minimum, when they insure their personal property and their place of, like, their home, where they live, they should know that they get to rebuild that and bring their family back to their home.

Michael from Boulder County writes,

It's not just stopping to make a right on red, Michael. It seems drivers are routinely comfortable speeding, not using their turn signals, driving aggressively and doing a multitude of other behaviors that would normally earn them a ticket.

In the first of two spots you mentioned, I went out to was westbound Dillon Road at 120

St. on the edge of Broomfield. I watched as driver after driver did the very common slow roll while making a right turn on a red light. The unique feature here is there is no northbound conflicting traffic for those turning right, so they might have felt more comfortable making that rolling right than if there was traffic.

I then went to the other intersection you sent me northbound 95

St. at Arapahoe Road in Boulder County. This is a much busier intersection and again, I watched driver after driver do the slow roll right turn on red, but that is what they should be doing here. This right turn is a protected right. The way it should work is drivers going north on 95

St. should slow down, look left but keep going as they complete the turn, and then merge left as traffic flow allows, before they get to Forrest Park Circle.

The reason this is a protected right is that drivers in the right lane for eastbound Arapahoe Road before 95

St. must turn south on 95

St. and shouldnt continue east through the intersection. That movement is only allowed from the left lane. I dont think most northbound to eastbound drivers know that, and that is why some stop and wait for eastbound traffic to clear before completing the turn.

MORE: Read more traffic issues driving people crazy

I talked to Commander Robyn VanDerLeest from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office about drivers rolling through the red lights.

Rolling right turns on red lights is always dangerous," Commander VanDerLeest said. "The expectation is that a car comes to a complete stop before the indicated stop bar, then slowly rolls forward when safe to observe traffic before turning right on the red light, where it is lawful to do so. Failing to do that, most often, is a hazard to pedestrians and bicyclists trying to lawfully cross streets. However, sometimes cars do miss judge traffic and enter the roadway unsafely.

Even so, 100% of the officers I have spoken to about this move told me this is one of those, unless a driver does something really unsafe, isnt that big of a deal. They wont pull offenders over for it. So even though this might be one of those moves other drivers do that bug some of us, it is also one of those moves that is up to the discretion of an officer who sees it happen to decide if it warrants making contact or not. More often than not, it doesnt.

One of the excuses drivers might use to roll right on red is to save fuel. I have read on eco-drive blogs and talked to people who say they do a rolling stop instead of a full stop, especially if no other vehicles are around, to save fuel. According to the State of New York's Drive More Efficiently webpage, it can take 20 percent more fuel to accelerate from a full stop than from 5 miles per hour. Try to anticipate stops and coast as much as possible.

To be fair, on that website, they were originally talking about driving in stop-and-go traffic, not promoting nor suggesting rolling through a stop sign. This argument is somewhat nullified if someone is driving a hybrid or electric vehicle since those cars are equipped with a regenerative braking system that recaptures some energy when stopping.

Commander VanDerLeest said if a driver was stopped for making a rolling red right, that person would get a ticket for failing to obey a traffic control signal and face a $123.50 fine that carries four points on their driver license.

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LOUISVILLE, Colo. Louisville officials, Colorado State researchers and local volunteers will spend the week documenting all the living species that call the city's open space home.

Through a partnership between the city and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) at Colorado State University (CSU), teams will assess more than 800 acres of natural land to determine the health of the space.

This type of survey is known as a "BioBlitz." According to the city, this week's event is different from traditional surveys due to its "scientific rigor."

"Field surveys will be led by biologists using standardized protocols, producing high-quality data with long-term value for conservation planning," the city explained in a release.

The 2025 BioBlitz event is scheduled to run from June 9 through June 13.

"Weve done some smaller-scale BioBlitzes over kind of the last 10 years on the city, and that helps us understand what species we have present on a property," Nathaniel Goeckner, natural resource manager with Louisville's Open Space, told Denver7.

The goal is to create a detailed database that informs land management decisions.

This BioBlitz will give us great data on what species we have present, and then that allows us to then cater kind of our land management to what would be best to provide ecosystem health to those individual species," Goeckner said.

A dozen CSU scientists, a dozen Louisville staff members and roughly 120 volunteers will participate in this event. Jessica Cheadle, program and volunteer Coordinator for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, highlighted the importance of involving the community in these types of surveys.

"These events are not only just to get the plants, but it's also to see what's here, and to kind of engage with the public and be like, 'Hey, learn about where you're living and what's here, and how you can be a steward of the land,'" Cheadle said.

CSU botanist Jennifer Ackerfield told Denver7 the grassy fields can be surprisingly diverse.

"We started here at 9:30 and we've gone, what, 200 feet, it's 11 now. But in that time, we probably documented at least 50 different plant species in this really short little range here," Ackerfield said.

Things they find can also provide historical data.

"This was once a homestead. People planted garlic here, and it still persists," Ackerfield said.

The findings from the BioBlitz will serve as records for future ecological preservation efforts.

Were looking at everything from plants to small mammals to mollusks to insects, Goeckner said. The community really values these open spaces and really wants to be a part of it. It shows, kind of, the passion that our community has for all types of critters, all types of plants.

The public is invited to an open house on Friday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Louisville Recreation and Senior Center to celebrate the discoveries made and to hear from experts.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. Earlier this week, Denver7 reported on a pilot program in Boulder that's using cattle to mitigate wildfire risk in grassy, open spaces. As it turns out, this initiative took advice from a similar program in nearby Louisville, which began after the Marshall Fire in December 2021.

Louisville has successfully integrated cattle grazing into its land management strategy for a few years. This approach not only helps keep families safe but also promotes soil health and preserves native grasses.

Cattle are something we can always rely on to get out there and do the work, said Nathaniel Goeckner, natural resource manager with Louisvilles Open Space Department.

According to Goeckner, the grazing cattle address the length and amount of grass to significantly reduce potential wildfire fuel.

Louisville has utilized cattle for several years to reintroduce historic grazing patterns to open space areas. Many native grasses co-evolved with hooved animals.

Historically, this area would have supported large herds of bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, and mule deer, Goeckner said.

Local ranchers provide the cattle, which graze on 120 acres over two weeks. Temporary pastures are established using electric fencing to move the livestock from field to field, a practice that enhances land stewardship while providing ranchers, like Andy Breiter, owner of Gramagrass and Livestock, a path to sustainability.

Im a first-generation farmer, Breiter said. All my employees are first-generation farmers, and theres a lot of hurdles to be able to get started in farming.

Breiter said land access in an area where real estate isnt cheap makes partnerships with local governments and other landowners vital for emerging farmers. Breiter can be a rancher without actually owning any land, and Louisville compensates him for providing his cattle.

Breiter's business model centers on holistic management practices.

To really steward that land, we need to put animals on it, he stated. Cattle can mimic those bison or elk or antelope that roam through here. They have a very similar stomach.

The grazing sites aren't just about keeping families and homes safe from wildfires; its also about maintaining the health of the ecosystem.

Were restoring health to the landscape, also mitigating wildland fuels. Overall, I think it just kind of paints a picture that were trying to look at this as holistically as possible," Goeckner said.

As for the cattle themselves, the grazing may appear to them as just another day of munching grass. However, the impact of their feeding helps to prevent future wildfires, ensuring community safety and preserving the native ecology.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. In today's fast-paced world, the topic of mortality can feel overwhelming. A new art exhibit in Louisville and Boulder seeks to change that feeling, encouraging conversations about death and the legacy one may leave behind.

Titled "Remember Me (This Way): The Presence of Absence," the exhibit is the work of Louisville artist Robin Salcido. The project invited its participants to reflect on their lives and write a one-page essay on the impact they hope to leave on their loved ones.

"I think we, in our culture, talk a lot about death like it's never going to happen, or we don't want to deal with it," Salcido said. "It's going to happen to each of us."

Through the project, participants are asked to describe simple things they loved about life, not necessarily milestones or achievements, but things they would want to be remembered for. Salcido believes this process can serve as a roadmap for how individuals choose to live their lives today.

"If you say you want to be remembered for your kindness, chances are you'll try to be kind in life," said Salcido.

Boulder resident Melissa Killian participated in the project, sharing her reflections on love, letting go, and dancing. Narrowing her legacy down to one page was the hardest part, she said.

"What we were getting down to was, what did you feel, and how did you want to make people feel?" said Killian.

Salcido hopes the exhibit resonates with community members of all ages, inspiring them to live with intention.

"Sometimes, we put more boundaries in the way of living the life we want to be remembered for," she said. I would love it if the younger generation took time to read what people wrote, maybe that would also give them a map.

The exhibit looks to create a space for reflection and conversation about mortality, offering comfort in acknowledging that death is a part of life rather than a taboo subject.

"These are conversations that I think we need to all start, we all need to have," Salcido said.

You can see the exhibit at North Boulder Recreation Center until Friday, or at the Louisville Recreation & Senior Center until the end of June.

People of all ages and levels can be spotted getting in their laps on the in-line skating rink. For some skaters though, there's concern over the future of the rink, as there are plans for the rink to be converted into outdoor pickleball courts.

The rink was built in 1998 and while some enjoy skating or playing hockey on the concrete surface, others have found it as a spot to play pickleball. In 2019, the city added pickleball lines and moveable nets so people could have another location at which to play.

The rink was "identified as an underutilized asset in the community," according to Louisville Planning & Project Manager for the Parks, Recreation & Open Space Bryon Weber. Ideas were proposed for "repurposing that space into some other amenity that might get more use by residents here in the city." Louisville City Council in 2012 adopted the parks, recreation, open space, and trails comprehensive master plan, which identified this vision.

"At that time, some of the initial ideas were to potentially convert it into a synthetic turf field, for use by a variety of sports, those plans never took shape and so it's remained as just the bare concrete surface, for hockey, and skating in 2019," Weber explained.

Over the past couple of years, the Recreation Advisory Board and City Council endorsed the plans for the permanent pickleball courts, approving the Capitol Improvement Project as part of the 2025 budget.

"So really, it's been kind of an ongoing, accumulation of public input, mostly through our recreation advisory board, and people that would attend those meetings, expressing a desire for dedicated facilities," Weber said.

When it comes to playing pickleball in the city, Weber shared the city does not offer any dedicated indoor or outdoor pickleball courts.

"I think what we've heard from residents is that there aren't those options, like I said, we don't have any dedicated facilities in our entire city, whereas other municipalities have had dedicated facilities as old as a decade," Weber said. "So we do feel like we're kind of behind the eight ball in terms of serving the demand and the need for these types of facilities."

The pickleball craze struck Kerri Pier who took up the sport two years ago. She shared that designated courts would make it a little bit easier to play as there would be court lines and a regular net.

"I actually was for it, I think it would be great to have that opportunity, because I know that there's a lot of tennis players, too," Pier said. "So I think it would be great to have that, though I am concerned a little bit more about also where the in-line hockey players are going to go as well because there's not another place for that."

Lena Wenzel is one of the community members who uses the rink and is worried about where skaters will be able to continue enjoying the sport.

"Well, my first initial reaction was no, this is where I've met so many amazing people, and this is where I meet families and learn about families and their kids and how they're coming together," Wenzel said.

The plans for the rink to be converted into pickleball courts came as an alarm to Wenzel who shared this is a place she has connected to others in the skating community.

"I was aware they had some city council meetings, but also as a longtime resident, a native to Louisville and to Colorado, I don't feel that I was informed, in the way that I could have been informed," Wenzel explained. "I found out on social media through, just through the city and maybe there could have been a better way to do that."

The city posted on Facebook a response to the plans as many community members were sharing their responses on social media to this news. The post outlines the proposal process along with benefits to the area and ways in which community members can be involved.

Similarly to Wenzel, Jack Kennedy is another person who frequently uses the rink and attended one of the Recreation Advisory Board meetings to share his stance.

"I think it's pretty important, hockey's a very expensive sport, it costs a lot of money to get out on the ice, and this is a free place where you can come and just work on your skills," Kennedy said.

Following the response from the community, last week Louisville City Council requested this topic be a discussion/direction item on a future agenda, which is leaving some skaters hopeful of the future.

"I definitely think that there's a lot more availability for pickleball players, indoors and outdoors, and I think we could synonymously use this rink together because we have been doing that thus far," Wenzel said.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. A barricaded person was taken into custody after an hours-long police standoff at a Louisville apartment complex Tuesday.

The Louisville Police Department said the incident began around 2:32 p.m. when officers were searching for a person who was involved in a domestic incident earlier in the day. The person had barricaded themselves inside their residence at the Kestrel Apartments and refused to come out.

A shelter-in-place was issued for residents in the area northwest of Courtesy Road and South Boulder Road out of an abundance of caution.

At 7:45 p.m., Louisville PD announced that the suspect was taken into custody and the situation was "resolved peacefully." The shelter-in-place was also lifted.

SUPERIOR, Colo. This December will mark four years since the devastating and historic Marshall Fire tore through Boulder County, killing two people and destroying more than 1,000 homes.

One of the houses burned that day was Aadi Sobti's childhood home.

I have a lot of good memories there. I moved to that home when I was... eight months old, and I'd been living there my entire life," Sobti said.

Denver7 met with Sobti in Superior, where his family has since rebuilt their home.

In the moment, you've lost your home," Sobti said. "There were many weeks where I just cried, and I was like, 'Why me?'

He was only 13 years old when his home burned at the end of 2021. Now, at 16, Sobti has taken that pain and transformed it into a solution.

Change must happen in order to make sure something like this never happens again," Sobti said. People in my community were kind of like, after the fire, were paranoid over the fact that a fire might spring up any time.

On a computer in his bedroom, Sobti developed Fire Watch, an app designed to help users prepare for a wildfire and know the probability of one occurring on any given day in any given location.

On a big picture level, it's a system where people can be sure that there is no fire, or if there is a fire, they are aware and they are ready for that," the teen explained. "It also has a section of what to do in case they encounter a fire.

Sobti dedicated hours of his time to the app, which will allow users to plug in the specific location they are interested in watching. It can also show users active fires around the globe.

My goal was to create change, but the idea of creating an app came from the Congressional App Challenge, and there was a lot of support in my community over creating this app, which was great," he said.

Sobti entered Fire Watch into the 2024 Congressional App Challenge, which is open to middle and high school students. Sobti's work was recognized in Congressman Joe Neguse's district.

More than 12,000 students across the country participated in the challenge.

Fire Watch is not in the app store yet. Sobti is working to submit it, and then it must be reviewed by Apple to ensure the app meets their requirements.

In addition to Sobti's app, five other Colorado students were recognized for their work.

Louie from Louisville writes,

It would have been better to change the speed limit, add stop signs and/or traffic lights

Before talking to the City of Louisville, I took a drive down Via Appia Way to see what the new configuration looks and feels like. The one lane configuration designates the center part of the roadway for cars. There is a double white line separating the bike lane to the right. To the left, there is a yellow line with yellow stripes in the empty space. On my drive, I experienced two tricky parts of the new road design. When I was making a left into the recreation center and to some of the other roadways, it took longer than I expected it would, especially during the busier morning and afternoon drive times. The other tricky move was making a left back onto Via Appia. You are supposed to pull out into a little holding area and then join the flow of traffic when a space opens up.

After my drive, I talked to the engineering department with the City of Louisville about the changes they made. They told me, this one lane configuration simply closed the inside travel lane next to the median with solid yellow striping and added a buffer to the existing bike lane to reduce the road to one lane for each direction.

The city said, the change is part of their Transportation Master Plan that was adopted by Louisville City Council in 2019. In that plan, there were multiple changes suggested to Via Appia intended to reduce speeding and improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and comfort.

Via Appia is an arterial street that bisects multiple single-family residential neighborhoods. We received numerous complaints from residents and parents along the corridor about the difficulty and lack of comfort in crossing four lanes of traveling vehicles," the City of Louisville said. "This project was staffs recommendation to proactively improve the overall safety of the corridor.

MORE: Read more traffic issues driving people crazy

City engineers told me, it is much easier now for people crossing Via Appia to make decisions based on just one lane of traffic in each direction versus two.

The only trouble I had with the new configuration were the left turns onto Via Appia getting into that short holding area during heavier traffic. I asked the city engineers how they intended those left turns to work.

We decided to add those 'merge' lanes as added comfort for drivers," the City of Louisville said. "This allows vehicles to cross Via Appia traffic coming from the left and get to a safe place before merging with traffic coming from the right, which allows drivers to make one decision at a time. Without these turn lanes, drivers would need to find a gap in traffic coming from both directions.

City engineers added, they kept all the left turns off Via Appia in place and because of the reconfiguration of the roadway. Two left turns were added one at West Griffith Street and another at Via Capri.

There is another part of your question Louie where you stated,

I asked the Louisville traffic engineering department, "why not add roundabouts or traffic signals at some of the busier intersections?"

Staff does not recommend signalizing the intersections for a variety of reasons, including increased travel time delays along the Via Appia corridor, as there would be a large volume of vehicles starting and stopping," the City of Louisville said. "This would also increase noise pollution and create additional emissions. Roundabouts could be a solution at select intersections and have not been completely ruled out. However, they are a very costly improvement, with a single roundabout estimated at approximately $1 million to construct. With this project, the city is trying to strike a delicate balance between comfort, safety, and efficiency.

The city told me, drivers wishing to make a left turn onto Via Appia from side streets can do so in approximately 20-30 seconds. They calculated that adding a traffic signal would restrict that free movement behind a light cycle of approximately 90-120 seconds, creating significant delays, and increasing resident complaints.

So far, the city has received both positive and negative feedback like yours after the design changes to Via Appia. They said, bike riders have appreciated the additional buffer and comfort level. Neighbors along the corridor told the city, they have liked the noticeable reduction in vehicle speeds. That speed reduction, as well as the new single lane configuration, has initially shown that pedestrians spend significantly less time in potential conflict with vehicles, making it safer for them to cross the road.

The city traffic department told me, they will continue to monitor and collect data over the next year, but the changes are here to stay. Meanwhile, the city has plans for future pedestrian crossing improvements, such as improved directional ADA ramps and possible pedestrian activated hybrid beacons, also known as HAWK signals at select intersections.

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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. An Aurora contractor was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday after he pleaded guilty to stealing money from Marshall Fire victims in unincorporated Boulder County.

Leona Scott was accused of accepting more than $1.3 million from four families whose homes were either damaged or destroyed in the fire but not completing the construction work.

He entered into a separate contract with each of the four families, took their money, but did not use their money as intended, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. In addition, he was not properly licensed to build homes in Boulder County.

Scott was arrested for theft, a Class 2 felony because the value was $1 million or more. He pleaded guilty in October to theft, a Class 3 felony, according to the Boulder County District Attorney's Office.

Scott was sentenced on Friday to 10 years in prison. The judge gave him credit for 185 days already served.

The DA's office said Scott agreed to pay $1,738,770.05 in restitution.

This defendant preyed upon, and took advantage of, people who were directly impacted by the Marshall Fire. His theft made their suffering worse, at a time when they needed help the most. So, I really appreciate the work of the Sheriffs Office and the prosecution team in securing this felony conviction and restitution. We will have an additional statement after the Court imposes the sentence," Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement.

SUPERIOR, Colo. Nearly three years since the Marshall Fire tore through Boulder County, killing two people and destroying over 1,000 homes, the pain of that dreadful December day is still fresh in the minds of those who lost everything.

An estimated 1,000 pets died in the fire after many were unable to be rescued.

Right after the Marshall Fire, work began on an app that aims to support pet owners in case of an emergency by connecting them with trusted contacts to help evacuate their furry family members.

Mike Neustedter lives in Original Town Superior with his family. They have rebuilt their home since the fire but are missing a key part of their household their 11-year-old cat, Kobe.

"Kobe was my wife's cat, and he was a feral cat that she rescued off the streets in Missouri. And she had him when she graduated college, and I met my wife shortly after that," said Neustedter. "We introduced a new dog to him, and we introduced a 1-year-old to him, and so he kind of got to see our family grow, and he was kind of that one stable thing. My wife and my life at the time of the fire, we had a lot of change. So he was more than just a cat.

Neustedter said Kobe was initially skeptical of him, but over the years, the cat grew fond of him.

"Every single night he would sleep on my chest or sleep in between my legs," Neustedter said. The big void when you're like, 'He's not here anymore,' because that little weight isn't on your body anymore when you sleep.

The family took road trips together, and Kobe always tagged along, loving to look out the window as they drove. Over the holidays in 2021 was one of the only times Kobe was left at home with a pet sitter.

December 30 is burned in my mind, and I think it always will be," Neustedter said. Oh my gosh, is my house going to be burned down? Is Kobe going to be in it? Is he going to be stuck?"

The pet sitter was running an errand in nearby Louisville when the fire darted toward Superior. They were unable to make their way back to Original Town because of all the traffic and road closures.

Ultimately, no one was able to get to Kobe in Neustedter's home.

Eventually, a bloodhound was brought to Neustedter's property, which searched for missing pets.

The dog came around, and he sniffed our property, and he stopped right in the spot where, like, we just knew [Kobe] was going to be, which was in our bed," said Neustedter. "He passed away cuddled up on the bed, and he was in his favorite spot. So that kind of gave us some closure.

The pain of losing a beloved pet was felt throughout Boulder County. Dave Crawford, co-founder and executive director of Animal Help Now, wanted to do something about it.

Crawford and his team developed a new pet evacuation app after the Marshall Fire called Pet Help & Rescue (PHaR). So far, around 700 users have downloaded the app, but Crawford hopes to reach more people.

Basically, it's a neighbors-based messaging app that allows users to quickly and effectively evacuate neighborhood animals who are home alone when disasters threaten and strike," Crawford explained. What you do is you download the app, you enter a little information on yourself, your contact information. And then you enter information on your animals, photographs, descriptions, likely hiding places, where their meds are, where their go bags are, etc.

Next, Crawford said users add their trusted contacts to the app. Hopefully, some of those are neighbors who could help quickly in the event of an emergency.

If you're gone someday and a disaster threatens your area, your neighborhood, you open the app, you ask for emergency help. It generates a message automatically from all the information that you've already provided, and then it sends it to your contacts, your PHaR contacts," said Crawford. "All that communication happens within the app so that you can ignore all of the other phone calls, texts, emails that you're getting from family and friends wondering if you're okay, and you can focus on what's most important to you at that moment, which is getting your animals out to safety.

Information on how to enter a user's home will only be given to trusted contacts, Crawford said.

The goal is to add another option for extreme emergencies like the Marshall Fire.

"If we know things are going to really go south, alert everybody in the neighborhood who uses the PHaR app, whether you know them or not. Because when push comes to shove, as it did with the Marshall Fire, it was necessary to allow anybody to do anything to get to your animals," said Crawford. It's the worst-case scenario, but it's one we want to allow for.

There's also a non-emergent option, for instances where a pet may need to be fed or taken outside.

Crawford said they are working with a handful of government agencies, hoping to partner with them in emergency situations.

"If an animal can't be evacuated, then we want to alert first responders to the fact that an animal is in that home and needs to be rescued. So, that's another feature that we're we have on tap for 2025," said Crawford.

Helping create this app was therapeutic for Crawford, who also lost his home in the Marshall Fire.

It's still going on. I mean, everybody is still dealing with this in one way or another. Things will never be the same," said Crawford.

Neustedter hopes PHaR saves other pets in the future, knowing just how hard it was to lose Kobe in the Marshall Fire.

In Colorado, these wildfires are going to hit you like that, and you're not going to have time to react. You're not going to have time to think clearly. And what this app does is it allows you to not have to think. The app thinks for you," said Neustedter. "I think that's the beauty of it.

DENVER Attorneys representing hundreds of Marshall Fire victims have accused Xcel Energy of concealing photos that reportedly show the company's equipment near the fire's origin.

A mass action lawsuit was filed in June 2023 accusing the energy company of sparking the most destructive fire in Colorado history. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office concluded that a disconnected Xcel Energy power line played a role in the fire's origin, but Xcel has repeatedly denied those claims.

Attorneys representing Marshall Fire victims filed a motion on Dec. 6 asking the court to compel Xcel to turn over 17,500 documents, including 3,853 photographs created two weeks after the fire.

Read the full motion below:

After the Marshall Fire, Xcel sent out its claims investigator, and this individual went to the scene, took photographs, documented evidence. And then afterward, Xcel repaired the lines at issue. Now what we want is show us what was happening that day, said Ali Moghaddas, an attorney with Edelson PC. Show us the evidence before you went in and changed the scene because that's going to be instrumental in proving their liability.

Xcel Energy said the documents are being withheld due to attorney-client privilege. A company spokesperson said they plan to fully respond to the motion in the coming weeks.

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. A driver was issued a summons for two Class 1 traffic misdemeanors in connection with a crash that killed a Louisville pedestrian in July.

The incident happened around 5:46 p.m. on July 8 at the intersection of Via Appia Way and Sagebrush Way in Louisville.

According to the 20th Judicial District Attorney's Office, Judy Florian, 59, was crossing Via Appia Way in the crosswalk after activating the flashing crosswalk lights when she was struck by a 2014 Lexus RX that was traveling eastbound on Via Appia. Witnesses told investigators that the crash sent Florian 12 to 13 feet into the air, according to the DA's office.

Florian was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident was investigated by the Louisville Police Department, which then presented the case to the district attorney's office.

The driver, identified as Mary Landry, 64, was issued a summons on Nov. 24 charging her with careless driving resulting in death and misuse of a wireless telephone while driving resulting in death. Both offenses are Class 1 traffic misdemeanors, according to the DA's office.

In a statement, Louisville Police Chief Rafael Gutierrez said, Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of Judy Florian during this difficult time. The conclusion of this investigation marks an important step toward understanding the circumstances of this tragic incident. We are committed to transparency and accountability in all that we do, and we hope the findings provide some clarity to the community. I want to thank our dedicated officers and detectives for their thorough and professional work. Our department will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of everyone in our community.

Twentieth Judicial DA Michael Dougherty shared similar sentiments in his statement, saying, The life of Judy Florian was cut tragically short. Her death is devastating for her family, friends, and the community. I appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by Chief Gutierrez and the Louisville Police Department, as well as their continued collaboration with the District Attorneys Office. Our office is committed to fighting for the right outcome.

Many Coloradans will spend Thanksgiving enjoying food and football, surrounded by loved ones.

Unfortunately, more people than usual will end up visiting an emergency room from Thanksgiving-related illness and injury. But, ER doctors are ready to help.

"Were here 24/7, 365 days a year. If you are worried you're having an emergency, please come to the emergency department. Don't put it off. You can often end up much more ill than you would have been,"Dr. Rebecca Kornas, the emergency room medical director at AdventHealth Avista in Louisville, said.

Even though injury and illness can spike on Thanksgiving, Dr. Kornas said the emergency room at her hospital typically isn't that busy. It's the days following that see an influx of patients.

"For the most part, it's a little bit quieter in the emergency department on a holiday, but the day after a holiday, or particularly the Monday after a holiday weekend, we'll see a large surge of people that were like, 'I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine,'" Dr. Kornas said.

Dr. Kornas sees similar injuries and illness each year.

"There are certain things that just happen every year, and there are themes. So it's true, there's a reason that we bring it up every year, because this might help one more person to not get injured," Dr. Kornas said.

Creating the perfect meal can bring just as much joy as it can stress. That can make things a bit hectic in the kitchen.

"Doing one thing at a time is really important, inattention and trying to do something else while you're cutting leads to problems," Dr. Kornas said. "We're dealing a lot with ovens, so making sure you've got good mitts for that, watching corners, keeping the pans kind of turned so that the handles are not sticking out. Keeping kids and pets out of the kitchen is a great idea."

Dr. Kornas sees much more than just cuts and burns. Overindulging can also lead to problems.

"Gravy, dressing, these things have a lot of salt in them, and that sodium load leads to some fluid retention. Pay attention to your portions, and remember what you normally eat, and realize that if that changes now, you might hold on to that extra fluid," Dr. Kornas said. "Some people that don't have as well functioning kidneys or hearts will hold onto that fluid and lead to heart failure, shortness of breath, troubles that do show up a couple days later."

Like many, Dr. Kornas ran a turkey trot Thursday morning which reminded her the importance of warming up before a race or a backyard football game.

"We see a lot of weekend warrior type injuries, of people that are like, I did this when I was in my 20s, and it was fine, but once you're in your 30s and 40s, and thereafter, it gets a little bit more challenging," Dr. Kornas said.

And all of these risks can be heightened by drinking alcohol.

"It's a time where sometimes people are under stress and they self medicate with alcohol in stressful situations. So just being cognizant that when you're having any alcohol, you don't get behind the wheel," Dr. Kornas said.

If you take one piece of advice from Dr. Kornas, it's this:

"We want to make sure that if you don't need to be in the emergency department, or that we can prevent it, you stay home. Because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

BOULDER, Colo. The new year will bring new, stricter cell phone restrictions for high school students in the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD).

On Tuesday, the school board voted to implement a bell-to-bell ban, which will prohibit the use of phones for the entire school day, including lunch and passing periods.

Superintendent Rob Anderson told Denver7 that this is not a policy intended to punish students for using their phones, but rather it's meant to help them in the long run.

"There's an over-reliance on cell phones and an over-reliance on social media that's harmful to the mental health of our kids. We care about that deeply," Anderson said.

He added that there is already a similar cell phone ban in place for BVSD elementary and middle schools.

"[We want to] make sure that we're creating the right environment, setting the right conditions for students, so they don't have to overly rely on social media and cell phones that they're focusing on face-to-face interactions with their peers, engaging in their lessons in classrooms without distraction," he said.

However, some high school students said they're skeptical about how the new rules will be implemented.

Alison Sittiseri, a student at East High School in Denver, said she heard about the ban at BVSD. While her school is not impacted by a cell phone ban, she said this is a topic she has frequently discussed with her peers.

"I think especially for schools that are larger, it would be hard to implement, especially if you're not taking the phones. And if you are taking the phones, there will definitely be some issues arising over that," Sittiseri said. "I do think students do have a right to have their phones on them in case of any emergencies, because we do know that in this changing time, a lot of communication happens over our cell phones."

Superintendent Anderson said the new policy will go into effect in January.

In the meantime, he said teachers and staff are working on the details and considering what the exceptions will look like.

"Over the course of the next month, we'll be working with our school leaders, and we will be working with teacher leaders to figure out what's the best way to implement this new policy," he said.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in the fall of 2023 found that one-third of teachers of kindergarten through 12th grade classes believe students are distracted by cell phones, and that this is classified as a major problem. About 20% of those teachers called it a minor problem.

About 82% of K-12 teachers in the United States said their school, or the school district, has a cell phone policy of some kind. However, 30% of them said those policies are very or somewhat difficult to enforce.

A study from the research center this fall found that while most Americans 68% agree with banning cell phone use in classrooms, they are less supportive of full-day restrictions. A major reason for the latter is parents wanting to be able to reach their child in an urgent situation or an emergency.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. Mudrock's Tap and Tavern in Louisville is not only a place to grab a bite or watch a big rivalry game, but also a place that holds the heart of the community close.

During the Marshall Fire, this restaurant became a spot people could meet at or go to find emergency necessities.

"A lot of people didn't have clothes on their back at that point and so we started a donation center here, and then as things moved on and a lot of people got involved, they realized that they didn't need all those things immediately anymore," said Mark Karpowich, owner of Mudrock's Tap and Tavern.

As time passed, Karpowich realized people no longer needed these items, but instead were processing the reality of what they lost in the fire.

"We realized that some people had lost some things that were totally irreplaceable, things like their memorial veterans flags that the military had presented to the families of lost servicemen and women," Karpowich said.

To help these families find comfort and preserve the memory of their loved one, the restaurant donated folded flags to those in the community who no longer had this significant keepsake.

"It was really one woman who lost everything here in Louisville she was in her 90s and she had lost her husband in Korea and her son in Vietnam," Karpowich explained. "So, to be able to present her with two folded flags even though they weren't the same flags it was so touching and striking for all of us here. It's something that you never forget as long as you live."

Following the recent hurricanes in Florida, the restaurant is continuing this kind action, sending folded flags to families of deceased veterans.

"Just went ahead and ordered as many as we could afford and then we started the fundraiser to try to get some of the costs. And people really want to be a part of something like this," Karpowich said.

The folded flags are packed up and are headed to Florida, along with other supplies donated by local organizations to support these hurricane victims.

"I just think that to be able to help fellow Americans when they have lost so much, some people might think it's a snowflake in a blizzard, but you never know who it's going to help," said Nancy Thompson, who helped organize supplies. "You never know what person is waiting for clean water to take medicine, or children that need diapers or bleach for the mold that will come after all the water damage."

Mudrock's Tap & Tavern has a fundraising page to send more flags to help the families affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Even being states away, the actions of Coloradans and businesses like this one are a reminder of how far simple acts of kindness can go.

"Its extremely rewarding. People can really lose hope and you can remember just looking at a pile of just rubble that used to be your home that doesn't mean it's the end of the world," Karpowich said. "You can still rebuild and its just an offer of hope because I know it can seem hopeless for people, but it's not."

LOUISVILLE, Colo. Nearly a hundred Marshall Fire victims gathered Sunday afternoon to remember the more than 1,000 pets they lost at the unveiling of a new memorial at the Louisville Arboretum.

The sculpture depicts several animals interacting harmoniously: a dog, bird, cat and reptile. It was donated by Louisville Rising, a Colorado nonprofit that raised $30,000 for the project.

"It looks like pet heaven," said Caleb Dickinson with Louisville Rising.

Dickinson's organization recruited firefighter Michael Garman for the project. Dickinson also wrote the inscription on the plaque.

"It's healing," said Lisa Young, a Marshall Fire victim who lost her home and two cats to the fire.

Young found out her home and cats were lost when she saw the house burning on a newscast. Her two cats, Jeux and Noel, were feral cats she adopted from a rescue when they were five months old.

"I ended up doing therapy for my cats because I couldn't get over them," said Young.

In addition to losing her two living pets, Young said she also buried several of her previous pets in her backyard. When crews began to clear out the burned land, Young lost the graves of her former pets as well.

Young plans to create a private memorial for her lost pets in her new backyard.

The Marshall Fire ignited near Superior and Louisville on Dec. 30, 2021. It rapidly spread due to 115 mph wind gusts and dry conditions, resulting in two deaths, the destruction of 1,084 homes, and over $2 billion in damages.

The fire likely started from a buried fire and a disconnected power line.

For many Coloradans, the Labor Day holiday is a time to celebrate workers and renew the fight for workers rights.

Labor unions, which are seeing a surge in popularity, are playing a central role in efforts to improve wages and healthcare benefits for workers in Colorado and across the nation.

On Monday, large crowds lined Main Street in downtown Louisville as marching bands, politicians, and floats made their way through. The annual Louisville Labor Day Parade provides community members a chance to celebrate American workers and the unions that have supported them along the way.

Labor Day is a holiday because unions fought for it, said Silas Atkins with the Boulder Valley Paraeducators Association.

Atkins believes unions are needed now more than ever.

Costs are going up. Wages are staying stagnant, said Atkins.

Union membership peaked in the 1950s and has been declining for decades. In 1983, about 20% of American workers belonged to a union, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Today, just 10% of American workers belong to a union. In Colorado, less than 7% of workers belong to a union.

After the parade in Louisville on Monday, members from several unions gathered for a picnic to reflect on their progress and the work still ahead.

It's all about working families. Corporations have all the money, said Sandra Parker Murray with Communication Workers of America. Workers need protections. They need livable wages. They need health care. They need to be able to afford a house [or] if they want to send their children to college.

Though membership numbers arent high, unions are more popular than theyve been in decades. Recent Gallup surveys show about 70% of Americans have a favorable view of unions. Favorability ratings for unions havent been that high since the mid-1960s, according to Gallup.

In terms of popularity, the lowest point for unions came in 2009 during the height of the Great Recession, when only about 48% of Americans held a favorable view of unions.

Union members have traditionally supported Democratic candidates in elections, as evident by the politicians marching in the parade on Monday, which included Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.

Some Republicans, most notably former President Donald Trump, have made efforts to reach out to unions. In July, Teamsters president Sean OBrien accepted an invitation to speak at the Republican National Convention. But union members Denver7 spoke to said they dont believe the outreach is genuine.

Its all a political game for them, said Atkins.

Parker Murray said Trump probably does have the support of some union members, but she doesnt believe most members would ever support him.

We know that we have to watch his actions and not listen to what he says, said Parker Murray, noting that Trump gave tax breaks to corporations during his first term.

As for the rise in popularity, union members are hopeful it will lead to better pay and benefits for workers.

We're growing and we're continuing to build, said Parker Murray. And we won't stop.

SUPERIOR, Colo. Its moving day for the Rebeschini-Glover family after waiting nearly three years to come back home after the Marshall Fire tore through their neighborhood on Dec. 30, 2021.

Finally moving in. What is it 930 something days? said Mel Glover, as she roughly calculated the number of days since the Marshall Fire destroyed 1,084 homes, including every single home in Superiors Sagamore subdivision.

Mel was trying to get home but was stuck on US 36, as her husband, Matteo, and their two kids were trying to get out.

If we didnt have this room, they would be dead, Mel said while standing in the familys new mudroom.

The mudroom in the house they lost was the only part of the house built out of brick and stone, which saved the family that day. The rest of the home was wood-framed and went up in flames quickly during the wildfire.

That old mudroom inspired the family to build what is now a new home constructed entirely of blocks and brick.

This is a lime slurry, Mel explained while running her hand across the wall. Its like painting with oatmeal.

The Rebeschinis used what are known as EcoBlox to construct a modern-day fortress if you will.

Were very proud because of the type of construction, the type of walls that we use, Matteo Rebeschini said.

A home built to withstand fire, ice and just about anything else Mother Nature may throw their way.

We were determined to find what is the best type of materials we can use to feel safe in the house, Matteo said.

What they found was a small company just 30 miles down the road.

I call this the block yard, said Lisa Morey, owner of Nova Terra. This is the facility. This is where the sausage is made. We make blocks. Pure and simple.

Nova Terra uses leftover materials from a nearby rock quarry to mold blocks used for building earth homes.

Its a composition of sand and clay and there is some small aggregate in there, Morey said, as she sifted some of the sand through her hand.

We add a small amount of water and then that material is conveyed to the press, she said. I call them EcoBlox. I add a small percentage of lime and then hydrate the material and then compress it under 2,000 PSI of pressure.

And its a building material that dates back thousands of years.

Even today it is estimated that 40% of the worlds population still builds out of earth, Morey said. Its been in constant use for 10,000 years. The walls of Jericho were excavated (in) 8,000 B.C. and it was seen to be adobe or mud bricks.

And Nova Terra is cranking the EcoBlox out with six homes currently under construction and another six projects in the works.

Nova Terra can produce about 1,000 blocks a day. In the Rebeschini, home they used roughly 15,000 EcoBlox, so it took about two weeks to produce the material to build that house.

While we might be 15% more than a framed home, were going to be saving in energy costs, Morey said. Were going to build a more durable home.

Experts estimate the cost of building an energy efficient home in the Marshall Fire burn zone is anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 more than a traditional stick build.

But experts say the payoff is worth it.

Oh the long-term benefit is ridiculous, said one construction worker. These homes use 5% the energy of a normal home.

The ERV system circulates fresh air around the house, Mel said. And this is what all the efficient houses and passive houses have in them.

The EcoBlox combined with Alpen windows make the environment of the home that is nearly air tight and smoke tight. A home built to withstand the test of time.

I like to say (the blocks) will last 1,000 years, come find me in 900 if Im wrong, Morey laughed.

We tried to prove a point really, that you can build a house in a cookie-cutter neighborhood that looks like a cookie-cutter home, but its not, Mel said. When you think about earth homes, people think about earth ships and crazy, weird houses and not many people want to live in a house like that. So, we wanted to build a house that blended in with regular American homes.

The City of Louisville unveiled its first fleet of fully electric trash and recycling trucks Wednesday, saying the city was the first in the country to do so.

"To be the first municipality in the country to adopt an electrified fleet showcases their desire to find tangible solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change," Richard Coupland, Republic Services vice president of municipal services, said.

Louisville will completely replace its current fleet of trash and recycling trucks by the end of the year. This will contribute to the city's Sustainability Action Plan goals and Republic Services' goal to operate more than 50 EVs across the country by the end of 2024.

The four new trucks in Louisville are McNeilus Volterra electric vehicles that produce zero tailpipe emissions, according to Republic Services. They have audible devices to alert other drivers and pedestrians of their presence to counteract how much quieter EVs generally are compared to traditional trash trucks.

The EVs will also have automated braking systems and sensors if drivers drift out of the lane lines, Republic Services said.

One of the chief concerns with any electric vehicle is the distance it can travel before it needs to be charged again.

Republic Services responded to that by saying:

"Collection trucks drive short distances, travel at slow speeds and make many stops and starts during a route, all of which are factors that make our fleet ideal for electrification. Plus, all trucks return to a base overnight where they can be recharged."

"The technology already has been proven in other cities with more challenging climates than ours," Louisville Mayor Chris Leh said. "What's more, it is cost-competitive for our taxpayers."

This is part of a trend nationwide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make electric vehicles more widely used.

Around $932 million in grants are available for communities to swap out heavy-duty vehicles, like trucks and school buses, for electric versions.

It can be costly to buy electric vehicles for these purposes. The EPA is accepting applications for grants to help cover such costs, including related infrastructure costs through July 25.

SUPERIOR, Colo. With searing heat settling in over metro Denver and the Colorado front range through the weekend, the fire danger is elevated.

The threat of wildfire has those rebuilding from the Marshall Fire a bit on edge.

There is some PTSD associated with the fire, said Philip Rosenberg-Watt, who is now rebuilding after his home in Superior burned down during the Marshall Fire.

His rebuild might not look like a traditional home construction project, which is exactly how Rosenberg-Watt intended it.

It was long and painful to come up with a design, he said. We wanted to build a place that wouldnt burn down again, with any luck.

His new home in Superior is being built by Constructive Alternatives, a Colorado-based company that specializes in energy efficient, fire-resistant construction.

Its called an ICF product, so its like insulated concrete forms, said Lucas Picard whose father founded Constructive Alternatives. The blocks we use are cool. Theyre pretty much like adult Legos in my mind.

Constructive Alternatives has now built about 10 homes in Colorado.

Weve been working with this product for years and years and years and now its finally starting to come more around, Picard said. And people are getting interested in it; its getting better promoted.

We had to think outside of the box and find designers who could do that, said Rosenberg-Watt. They take Styrofoam and chop it up and recycle it and put it into forms with cement and they make these blocks.

Rosenberg-Watt believes the extreme heat and fire danger in the forecast this weekend help to punctuate the point of building a home like this.

Were trying to build it for any kind of catastrophe we can imagine, Rosenberg-Watt said. This house and the building materials, in particular, are going to be very resilient, theyre going to be really high performing; So, were going to spend very little on our energy heating and cooling bills.

A fortress of sorts.

And his windows are recessed in the back and then theres a roll system, a shutter system that will actually drop down if this actually senses a fire, said Daniel Ghost Shea. Itll pretty much lock itself up.

Hes building a pretty bomber thing over here, Picard said.

Built to last, built to save money, and built to survive catastrophic situations.

Weve had some buildings go through fires and become stronger, Picard said. In the long run, its going to pay for itself, many times over, said Rosenberg-Watt.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. In the Marshall Fire burn zone, there are dozens of families now returning to their newly built homes every week. The wildfire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Louisville and Superior back in December 2021. It remains the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history.

Among those newly built structures is one that stands out among the rest in Louisville, a passive home. The building standard not only emphasizes high energy efficiency, but it's also fire-resistant and enhances indoor comfort and sound insulation.

This is our first certified passive home, said Frank Wetenkamp with Living Craft Design and Build. Using lumber that is either wildland urban appliance class, a fire component or something like that, that's thick enough that you don't want it to break down easily. So, like this decking is actually a pressure-treated fire-resistant wooden material.

The family that built the home couldnt be more thrilled with their choice.

Along the road it was hard, said Casey Lombardo. Like, money was hard, everything was hard, and we kept asking, are we doing the right thing? Should we be doing this? Does it make sense? We always came back to if were going to do it, lets do it amazing. And I think its pretty amazing.

For Casey Lombardo, her husband, Kevin Lombardo, and their two boys, their journey to recovery begins on that fateful day back on December 30, 2021.

It looked like ... theres another wildfire somewhere, Casey Lombardo said. You know, I just totally dismissed it.

Thats when Kevin Lombardo decided to drive up to the ridge to take a look.

And I just kind of started shaking, Kevin Lombardo said of what he saw. I thought if its going to miss us, its going to be by this much.

And he came back down to the house, and he was like, 'Everybody get into the car now!' Casey Lombardo said. And I was like, Oh! We left about 15 minutes before the cops came down our neighborhood with a bullhorn saying, 'Get out now!'

It would be the last time they saw their house still standing.

I dont think it actually settled in for me until we came back to the lot, Casey Lombardo said. And I saw it and that was like a week later.

The Lombardos describe the months and weeks that followed as a fog, but then a light came on in the form of a webinar late one night that introduced them to passive building principals.

They talked a lot about the benefits of high-performance houses, Kevin Lombardo said. The benefits of building a passive house.

We were sold, Casey Lombardo said.

I didnt really care before that what we rebuilt, Kevin Lombardo said. After this webinar, I cared a lot.

Fast-forward to this spring and the Lombardos are now moving in.

Theyre a double-stud wall with a bunch of insulation, Casey Lombardo said as we toured the house with them. The house is really air-sealed.

The Lombardo's dream has become a reality.

Separating the garage from the thermal envelope of the rest of the house is really important because you cant achieve airtightness with a garage, said a representative with Shape Architecture, which worked with Living Craft on the home.

Intumescent vents allow air to move up behind the siding, Wetenkamp said. These homes are designed to use the minimum amount of energy possible. I think for us as builders, it's really exciting to be a part of something that's more cutting edge and innovative.

The home certainly sticks out from the crowd of new homes here in Louisville, with its metal siding and metal sunshades above every window.

There was this other neighboring builder in this neighborhood who stopped by and was like, What are you guys doing? Everything you're doing is so weird and why are you doing it? And I kind of tried to explain and he was just like, Well, I've never seen this. I've been doing this for 40 years and I've never seen it, explained Wetenkamps business partner, Cheryl Corsiglia.

The Lombardo's home uses one-third of the energy and electricity of the average home.

Everything about the house was designed to minimize the impact of future fires and be fire resistant, Kevin Lombardo said. Its a better home for people and the planet.

I think for us as builders, it's really exciting to be a part of something that's more cutting edge and innovative, you know, through our history of the company. We've always been interested in what's the next step and how can we do things better, Wetenkamp said.

Take a tour of the home with Denver7 in the video player below: