‹‹ Colorado Matters

The Boven family returns home to ash and debris

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12min 45sec
Thomas Carr
Joe Boven thought he could salvage some books from his parents’ Louisville home but the paper dissolved in his hands.

Larry and Mary Boven lost their Louisville, Colorado home and “hundreds of years of history” in the Marshall fire. Their son, Joe, talks about the family’s return to the site. He’d hoped some of their books could be salvaged but when he touched them they dissolved in his hands. And, the nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse offers help for those who don’t want to sift through the ruins of their homes alone.