Pet Loss in an Urban Firestorm: Grief and Hope after Colorado’s Marshall Fire

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The Marshall Fire, a grass-fire-turned-urban-firestorm, destroyed over 1000 homes in southeastern Boulder County, Colorado, within six hours on 30 December 2021. The fire occurred on a weekday, when many residents were at work, and during the holidays, when many were traveling. When the fire began spreading rapidly in populated areas, roadblocks and dense smoke prevented people from returning home to rescue their pets. The fire displaced 30,000 residents. Although a precise count of animal deaths is not possible, it is likely that over 1000 pets died. Through interviews with pet owners whose animals died, this research examined what prevented them from rescuing their pets and what might reduce future mass animal fatalities. This research also assessed the fire’s impact on veterinary clinics located within the burn zone. The study challenges claims that attribute the failure to evacuate pets to weak human–animal bonds and adds to the literature on rapid-onset disasters. ABSTRACT: Although much of the literature on pets in disasters associates the failure to evacuate pets with a weak or absent human–animal bond, rapid-onset disasters challenge the foundations of that claim. Colorado’s Marshall Fire, which occurred on 30 December 2021, took the lives of more than 1000 pets. The fire began in open grassland and quickly became an “urban firestorm” when it spread into densely populated areas. Due to the timing of the fire’s onset, owners could not return home to rescue their pets. Although first responders, volunteers, and other evacuees rescued some animals, many died inside their homes. Analysis of qualitative interviews with a small sample of pet owners whose animals died in the fire reveal the factors that prevented owners from rescuing their pets. Through analysis of traditional and social media, and emergency notifications, this research presents a timeline of events on the day of the fire and examines pitfalls in evacuation notification. Participant observation and field conversations provide insight into the impact of the fire on veterinary clinics. The study concludes with suggestions intended to reduce future mass deaths of animals.