BOULDER COUNTY — Four months after the Marshall Fire impacted thousands of lives, there is hope for homeowners.
A couple in unincorporated Boulder County has become the first in that area to receive a permit to rebuild.
They say Dec. 30 started out as a normal day. Their family was over for the holidays when, suddenly, they looked out the window and saw something was wrong.
"We looked out the windows and saw that there was a dust storm. And then our son was up here with his family. And he says, 'No, that's not a dust storm. That's fire,'" said Dan Decker.
Moments later, they received an evacuation notice from the sheriff's office.
"And as we pulled out the driveway, the fire was right there. We took one last picture of the house and drove away," said Pam Decker. "I really believed it would still be here when we got back. We walked away with just the clothes on our back."
After they lost their home of 18 years, their friends and family quickly came together to help.
"We have three children and their spouses that took over on day two after the fire, got an architect, a builder, designer, just set everything up," they said.
Loved ones also came together to collect donations for them, and a friend helped them with the debris removal process.
The Deckers became one of the first in Boulder County to get a permit to rebuild.
"Tears of joy. Before they were tears of sorrow. This is our home. This is where all our memories are — all our kids, all the grandkids, all family. We've had weddings here, we've had graduations here. We've had birthday parties," said the Deckers.
Their new home will use the same foundation and same design as the house they lost.
"We liked the way the house was and everybody came by and just enjoyed the house," they said. "Hopefully, it gives some hope to everyone else that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."
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The Deckers say their new home could be finished as early as February 2023.
