Homes that survived the Marshall Fire harbored another disaster inside – here’s what we’ve learned about this insidious urban wildfire risk
On Dec. 30, 2021, one of the most destructive wildfires on record in Colorado swept through neighborhoods just a few miles from the University of Colorado Boulder. The flames destroyed over 1,000 buildings, yet some houses were still completely intact right next to homes where nothing was left to burn.
Although the people who lived in these still-standing homes were spared the loss of everything they owned, when they returned after the fire, they found another disaster. Noxious smells and ash on their windowsills and doorways initially made their homes unlivable – and potentially hazardous to human health.
Professor Mike Hannigan has co-authored a new article in The Conversation on how the fire impacted indoor air quality in homes survived.
Hannigan is an expert in air quality and a professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Environmental Engineering Program.
