The end of 2023 marked the second anniversary of the Boulder County wildfire commonly referred to as the Marshall Fire. It also focused on the remarkable recovery of the neighborhoods since a devastating, windswept fire ravaged through the communities of Superior and Louisville on December 30, 2021, destroying over 1,000 homes and businesses and causing over $1 billion in losses.

As 2023 came to a close, debris removal was complete and rebuilding, while spotty in some areas, was well underway. According to an article in the Denver Gazette, the city of Louisville had issued 128 certificates of occupancy by year’s end, representing roughly 25% of the 550 homes and businesses lost in the fire. Just south of Louisville, the town of Superior saw nearly 40% of the 396 homes lost rebuilt and occupied. By contrast, only 11.5% of the homes lost in the unincorporated area of Boulder County have been reoccupied.

Overall, more than a third of the fire victims have rebuilt and returned, with reconstruction ongoing and more people returning every day.

Community Support Makes Rebuilding Easier

On the fire’s second anniversary, community leaders are pleased with the progress but acknowledge there’s still work ahead. Speaking to the Gazette, Superior Mayor Pro-Tem Neal Shah said that the critical piece to rebuilding after such devastation has been having the support of the full community. “It’s the reason so many want to come back to Superior,” he said.

Work Trucks Play a Vital Role in Recovery

Big jobs require big resources and O.J. Watson Equipment is proud that much of the recovery and rebuilding work has been done by our customers using vehicles and machinery provided by us. From pickups and service vans to dump and platform trucks, sweepers, and heavy construction rigs, our products have played a major role in clearing, rebuilding, and landscaping the burn area. Those same trucks will continue to help those communities rise from the ashes over the coming months.

At O.J. Watson, we continue to be ready to help this herculean effort in any way we can, from expediting orders of new OEM and custom equipment to streamlining service and delivery of parts and accessories from our Denver and Greeley facilities. With easy access from Northern Colorado, we’re ready to keep customers’ trucks performing at their best with minimal down time.

OJ is the OG in Work Trucks

O.J. Watson Equipment has been selling, building, customizing, and maintaining trucks from pickups to large workhorses for over 100 years. And we back them up with OEM parts and superior service. We also have a huge variety of accessory items and parts at both our locations, and we are experts in custom fabrication to meet every need.

Whatever specialized truck and truck equipment is needed to bring our neighbors back, O.J. Watson is proudly prepared to handle it.

Learn more about work trucks and our other many products and services on our website: ojwatson.com.