Colorado’s 2021 Marshall Fire tore through Boulder County and destroyed more than 1,000 homes — cementing its place as one of the worst disasters in state history.

What got less attention was the fate of hundreds of other properties in the surrounding area.

The homes were still standing, but they were contaminated by smoke, soot and ash. The impurities displaced some families for months — and others for years.

That’s due in part to ongoing disputes between Colorado homeowners and their insurance companies over how much damage the homes sustained — and what it would take to ensure they are safe to live in.