Louisville Realtor Never Stops Serving Community through Marshall Fire Recovery

Lisa Rice

By Denver Region Media Specialist Corey Christiansen

More than two years after the most costly fire in Colorado’s history tore through her community, Louisville Ward (Boulder Stake) member Lisa Rice is still asking who needs help next.

On December 30, 2021, 115-mile-per-hour winds whipped the Marshall Fire across the Boulder suburbs of Louisville and Superior. It destroyed almost 1,100 homes and damaged hundreds more with its intense wind and smoke. The flames stopped just 10-feet short of Rice’s house, but her home still suffered significant smoke damage.

Despite being personally impacted by the fire, Rice immediately looked for ways to help others. As a Realtor in the Boulder community, she keenly knew the impact to the housing market when so many people suddenly had no place to live. She immediately joined a new organization called Marshall Restoring Our Community (ROC).

“Every disaster has a long-term recovery group,” Rice said. “There’s the immediate needs of finding homes and getting people fed and clothed and all those things. Then, it takes 2-3 years for everything to kind of be finalized.”

Rice has served as Co-Chairman of Marshall ROC and currently serves as a board member. Since 2022, she has relentlessly put in 40-60 hours per week of volunteer time with the organization on top of her full-time Realtor career. Through her dedicated service to her community, Rice has helped victims navigate how to file insurance claims, obtain food and financial aid plus seek housing placement.

“I want to do good for people. Because this is a situation where they’re in a really hard place. To recognize that somebody has so many more steps than I’ve had to go through – it’s a familiar place to be in and to be able to help somebody,” Rice said. “It just makes my heart feel really good to know that I have had a little part in easing the burdens that are so heavily placed on their shoulders.”

Although the recovery effort from the Marshall Fire may not make as many headlines as it did immediately following the tragedy, many families have still not returned home. Marshall ROC is still active and accepting donations. To make a tax-deductible financial contribution, visit every.org/marshall-roc

Individuals or businesses that would like to make an in-kind contribution of gift cards, new construction materials, new appliances, gardening tools or other new household items can email donations@marshallroc.org

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