Biden tells survivors of Colorado's Marshall Fire to 'hang on to one another'

Jan. 8 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden toured the site of a fire in Boulder County, Colo., that destroyed over 1,000 homes late last month.

During the visit Friday, Biden told families who survived the deadly fire to "hang on to one another," The Denver Post reported.

He added that the federal government's help "is not going away."

Biden spent more than 4 hours on Friday flying in Marine One over the burn area, and touring the neighborhood from the ground around Harper Lake in Louisville.

First lady Jill Biden, and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell accompanied him along with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, and some Colorado lawmakers, including Sen. Michael Bennet, Sen. John Hickenlooper and Rep. Joe Neguse also joined him.

"People here and across Boulder County are stepping up for one another," Biden said during a speech at the Louisville Recreation and Senior Center, where he greeted families, according to The Denver Post. "And we're working closely with Gov. Polis to ensure Colorado has every single resource available."

Firefighters have reached 100% containment of the perimeter since the Marshall Fire sparked on Dec. 30 and burned through 6,000 acres.

Biden added during his speech that wildfires have become more common across the country in recent years amid climate change.

"The situation is a blinking Code Red for our nation," Biden said, citing unusually high winds, prolonged drought and the late arrival of snow for creating "a tinderbox," The Washington Post reported.

On Wednesday, authorities found human remains of one of two missing people in Boulder County, confirming the first death from the fire.

On Friday, the Boulder County coroner identified Robert Sharpe, 69, as the person whose human remains were discovered, The Denver Post reported.

Officials said in an update Thursday the fire destroyed 1,084 homes, and damaged another 149 homes, for an estimated $513 million in damages.

Biden declared the Marshall Fire area a major disaster on New Year's Day, which allows for federal money to be used for recovery efforts.