How to Rebuild from a Wildfire
Stories from the Marshall Fire
It was a dry day in Boulder, Colorado, when the Marshall Fire broke out on December 30th, 2021. Winds were high, and conditions were perfect for feeding a fire. What started as a small grass fire quickly grew into a disaster that swept through the Boulder suburbs, affecting the areas of Louisville and Superior. Over 1,000 homes were destroyed. It was the most destructive fire in Colorado history.
As Zac Swank noted during the 2023 PHN Conference, this was a Climate Change-fueled disaster. Higher than normal rains in May of 2021 led to more vegetation growth that became kindling during September, when the area received an inch and a half less rain than average. Ordinarily used to winter weather earlier in the year, the area didn’t receive any snowfall until the day after the fire. These conditions, exacerbated by climate change, made a bad situation even worse.
After the flames were extinguished and the damage was assessed, a community faced the question of how to rebuild. Many designers, builders, and homeowners turned to Passive House. During the 2023 Passive House Conference, they told their stories. PHN is happy to make these sessions, and the rest of our Conference recordings, freely accessible on our YouTube Channel. Below, you’ll find the sessions responding to the Marshall Fire.
The Marshall Fire: A Community Changes Business as Usual – A Panel Discussion
When the Marshall Fire destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County, a community sprang to rebuild to higher performance standards, including Passive House. From governments, to utilities, to private businesses and community members, coordinated efforts at critical moments helped to change business as usual. Find out what happened up to October 2023 and how the lessons learned can be applied to future transformational efforts in the region, the state, and across the country from speakers Brad Begin, Christine Berg, Jessica Hunter, and Zac Swank.
After the Marshall Fire: Building Back with Passive House Gets Real
Kim Cinco, Mark Attard, Rob Harrison, Chuck Bower, Maggie Wholtjen, Frank Wetenkamp, and Jessica Hunter examine three Passive House rebuilds from the Marshall Fire, each with a different approach to the build, and all under construction as of the recording. This video unpacks the process, the designs, and the details with the architects and builders.
Wildfire Resilience: Strategies, Codes, Data & the Wildland-Urban Interface
With the growing occurrence of devastating wildfires, there’s an imperative to make buildings fire-safe and resilient. Passive House can support a clear pathway to achieve these goals. Hear from Birgitte Messerschmidt, Rob Nicely, Andrew Michler, Mary James.
For more information on building with climate resilience in mind, view our 2023 report, Safe at Home. Find additional information about rebuilding after the Marshall fire with Passive House here and here. Find information about California’s proposed building code revisions and how they might increase fire resiliency here.
