At least 7 injured and 3 feared dead after Colorado fire destroys almost 1,000 homes

Firefighter in Superior, Colorado
(Image credit: JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images)

No deaths have been confirmed, but authorities announced Saturday that three people are still missing after a fire that broke out Thursday destroyed almost 1,000 homes in the Denver suburbs and damaged hundreds more, The Wall Street Journal reported.

At least seven people were injured.

The blaze burned more than nine square miles in the cities of Louisville and Superior, and many homes that escaped direct fire damage were left without power or heat. A 10-inch fall of snow has hampered recovery efforts, frozen pipes, and caused water damage to homes already scarred by the flames, The New York Times reports.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said Saturday that investigators have not ruled out arson or "reckless behavior" and are still attempting to determine the cause of the blaze. He also confirmed that law enforcement had executed a search warrant at one specific property but declined to elaborate. An unnamed source within the sheriff's department said the property in question was located in Marshall Mesa, an area of sparsely populated open grassland west of Superior and Louisville known for its hiking trails.

According to The Associated Press, National Guard troops have arrived to maintain order and render aid. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are on the ground distributing space heaters, bottled water, and blankets.

Explore More
Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.