BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — The Boulder County Sheriff's Office released 60 new body-worn camera videos from their response to the Marshall Fire in December 2021, along with a tentative plan of when it plans to finalize the investigation.
The Marshall Fire started on Dec. 30 and burned through unincorporated Boulder County, Superior and Louisville. It destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses in the county and forced mass evacuations.
In the wake of the fire, investigators have followed up on more than 200 tips, plus interviews, photos and videos from the first responders involved in the initial response. Deputies's body-worn cameras captured 266 recordings and 450 photos.
The sheriff's office has also collected 186 pieces of evidence, including 49 physical items and 137 digital items, like drone footage and photos taken by witnesses and investigators. It clarified that "one digital item" may include a single photo or video, or an entire series from a person.
The team investigating the fire is made of experts and state and federal agencies and they, along with the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, is continuing to review those documents, photos and videos.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but authorities have addressed — and continue to address — the possible causes. This ranges from lightning to fireworks to underground coal mine fires to electrical supply infrastructure to a person throwing a cigarette from a vehicle, among several others. The sheriff's office said several possible causes were eliminated early in the investigation.
READ MORE: Community members, agencies awarded for work in wake of Marshall Fire
On Thursday afternoon, the sheriff's office announced that it was releasing 60 new body-worn camera videos, all captured on Dec. 30 east of Cherryvale Road. Footage from west of the road will not be released until the end of the investigation. You can watch the videos here.
The videos, which begin when the fire started and continue past sunset, show officials running to homes and evacuating people, plus helping to evacuate horses and pets.
The sheriff's office said the videos include strong language and may be hard to watch for those impacted by the Marshall Fire.
The sheriff's office said it plans to complete the investigation into the Marshall Fire "likely early in the new year." At that point, it will release the cause and origin report.
Click here to read more of Denver7's coverage on the Marshall Fire, the aftermath and the recovery stories.
