SUPERIOR, Colo. — Marshall Fire survivors still have a long road to recovery. So, community leaders in Superior organized a recovery expo to offer help.
"There's light at the end of the tunnel and the chamber is here to help," said membership coordinator for the Superior Chamber of Commerce, Carol Burkett.
This isn't a typical business expo. The people walking by these booths are rebuilding their homes and their lives after being impacted by the Marshall Fire.
"We're just trying to be of service to our community," said Burkett. “The whole 80027 is incredibly resilient and people have been really, really supporting each other.”
Her home suffered ash and smoke damage.
"I am doing the last of my house mitigation today. They are literally power washing the house today as we speak," she said. "It's like a full time job. We have four adjusters. I have a house mitigation company. I have a duct mitigation company. I have a carpet cleaning company. I have a soft goods company and I have art conservators. So, I’m trying to coordinate with all those different people and get things done in a timely fashion and it’s a lot of work. It’s tiring and it takes such an emotional toll. Driving past the burned-out houses is devastating and we’re doing it every day."
Nearly four months later, Burkett said she's fortunate to be one of the first to finish mitigation after the fire burned down more than 1,000 homes.
"Now, they're just starting clear and they're just starting to identify how much they can afford to build and now they need to find architects," said vice president of events for the Chamber, Joey Paull Yoder. “It is a very traumatizing time and it’s so important that as a community we’re taking care of one another and also learning how to take care of ourselves.”
She said the goal of the expo is to connect those affected by the fires with builders, designers, financial resources and mental health professionals.
"We're just constantly trying to identify the need and then we can keep moving forward with these kinds of events," said Yoder. "It really makes me so humbled that all these people come together and it's been really wonderful."
There's still a long and difficult journey ahead for a lot of these families, but through this tragedy they've forged bonds that are stronger than ever.
"It was a community and it still is," said Burkett.
The Superior Chamber of Commerce has a page on their website dedicated to Marshall Fire resources. You can also check out the website "Superior Rising" for more resources, events, and updates.
There's also a new resource out there to help Marshall Fire survivors and builders navigate the rebuilding process. Boulder County just launched the website "Rebuilding Better." The site is divided into chapters that track along with the home building process, like planning, designing, finding a construction team and what materials to use.
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