President Joe Biden Arrives In Colorado, Meets With Families Impacted By Marshall Fire, Tours Devastation

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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- President Joe Biden landed at Denver International Airport on Friday afternoon on his way to Boulder County. The president will tour the destruction left behind by the Marshall Fire and meet with some of the families who are impacted by the most destructive fire in Colorado history.

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Biden left DIA aboard Marine One on his way to Rocky Mountain Regional Airport to tour the destruction from the air over Boulder County.

US President Joe Biden (C-L) hugs a man as he and First Lady Jill Biden (R) greet local residens during a tour of a neighborhood destroyed by the Marshall Fire in Louisville, Colorado, January 7, 2022. - Authorities say the fast moving wildfire destroyed more than 1,000 homes. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Once Biden landed after the air tour, he met with firefighters and families in the Harper Lake neighborhood of Louisville.

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The fire destroyed 1,084 homes and the value of residential damage is estimated at more than $500 million.

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"President Biden's own personal story of unspeakable loss and grief shone through today as he genuinely connected on a human level with our affected residents and families. I am grateful for him coming personally to comfort us in our time of need and recommitting to support our recovery and healing. I thank President Biden and the First Lady for their unwavering support for our resilient community. We will continue working together on recovery," said Polis. "I welcome President Biden to Colorado and applaud his administration for making vital resources like the FEMA Disaster Assistance Center and Disaster Unemployment Insurance available quickly to those who survived the Marshall fire."

Rep. Joe Neguse, a Democrat who represents Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, and Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat representing Colorado's 6th Congressional District, also joined Gov. Jared Polis in welcoming the president to Colorado at DIA.

In the last week I've spoken with countless Coloradans who have experienced unprecedented loss in the wake of the #MarshallFire & are showing tremendous resilience.

It's an honor to share some of those stories with @POTUS today as he visits Boulder County. pic.twitter.com/AxHrQVXuov
— Rep. Joe Neguse (@RepJoeNeguse) January 7, 2022

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Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper also welcomed Biden once he debarked Air Force One. They will tour the Marshall Fire area together. Before departing the White House, Biden described the destruction as "god-awful."

I'm grateful for @POTUS's visit to Colorado today.

In the wake of disasters like the #MarshallFire, Coloradans are always resilient. With the support of the federal government and everyone working together, I know we will build back stronger than before. https://t.co/wXErydGoYD
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet) January 7, 2022

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After touring the site and meeting with families, Biden gave a news conference where he talked about the resources available to Coloradans who lost their homes. Then he boarded Marine One on his way back to Air Force One and left for Nevada. Biden was in Colorado for a little more than 4 hours.

First Lady Jill Biden joined the president. Biden made the stop in Colorado on his way to Nevada for the memorial service for late former Sen. Harry Reid. He died last week after a years-long battle with cancer at age 82. Reid and Biden had served together in the Senate.