SUPERIOR, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado official said Saturday that three people are missing after Thursday’s wildfire.
“We are very fortunate that we do not have a list of 100 missing people,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle.
The fire destroyed nearly 1,000 structures and charred numerous neighborhoods in a suburban area northwest of Denver.
Pelle said investigators are still trying to find the cause of the blaze. Originally, officials thought down power lines caused the fire. However, they now say no down power lines have been found in the area where the fire is believed to have started.
“We have a number of tips we are working on,” Pelle said. “We’ve executed a search warrant at one particular location we are investigating.”
The fire started in an area that has been dealing with dry conditions and also strong winds on Thursday. Firefighting efforts were helped when snow hit the area Friday and Saturday.
FEMA announced on Saturday that disaster assistance has been made available to victims of Thursday’s fire. Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621- 3362.