Sheryl Buchman, a Superior resident, woke a neighbor who was asleep after working an overnight shift as the Marshall Fire roared toward their property. Both of them got out safely just as the flames engulfed their homes. 

Superior residents Chris and Debbie Clyncke treated responding deputies to hot meals in their commercial kitchen. 

Black Paw owners Bernadette and Joe Pflug opened their facility to bathe and decontaminate first responder dogs.

'Non-survivable' evacuation routes threaten some of Colorado’s most wildfire-prone areas

Six months after the Marshall Fire, stories are starting to emerge about the unsung heroes who helped saved human and animal lives and property during Colorado’s worst wildfire disaster. 

Boulder County sheriffs honored some of them on Monday night.  

Numerous volunteer organizations were also honored for their service during and after the Marshall Fire, including Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, an organization which helps owners sift through ruins, Samaritan’s Purse U.S. Disaster Relief, Search and Rescue Dogs of Colorado, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, and the Longmont Department of Public Safety. 

Boulder crew demolishes Marshall Fire victim's house foundation, ending hopes to rebuild

Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said the people who stepped forward to help in the first hours and days of the fire deserved commendation.

“We honored the individual employees, agencies, partners, and community members who went to great lengths to save lives, both human and animal, save property where possible, and to begin the process of healing and recovery,” he said.

Mistakes and heroics: Marshall Fire report points to gaps, well-coordinated evacuation of hospital