(BOULDER, CO) Three years ago, on Dec. 30, 2021, a wind-driven wildfire raced through two communities just outside Boulder, Colorado. In the span of about eight hours, more than 1,000 homes and businesses burned.
The fire left entire blocks in ash, but among them, pockets of houses survived , seemingly untouched. The owners of these homes may have felt relief at first. But fire damage can be deceiving, as many soon discovered.
When wildfires like the Marshall Fire reach the wildland-urban interface , they are burning both vegetation and human-made materials. Vehicles and buildings burn, along with all of the things inside them – electronics, paint, plastics, furniture.
Research shows that when human-made materials like these burn, the chemicals released are different from what is emitted when just vegetation burns. The smoke and ash can blow under doors and around windows in nearby homes, bringing in chemicals that stick to walls and other indoor surfaces and continue off-gassing for weeks to months, particularly in warmer temperatures.