CIRES turns cutting-edge research into solutions that protect people, places and the planet. Funding enabled rapid reaction in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, which struck Boulder County on December 30, 2021. With 1100 homes destroyed, and the burning of many harmful chemical-bearing items (e.g. car batteries, construction materials, appliances, etc.) there were many unanswered questions about the safety of returning to homes and rebuilding in the aftermath of the fire.  CIRES scientists were able to take action within days to assess the indoor contamination of existing homes and assess any chemical contamination of the soils in the area. The results enabled a full understanding of the risks to human health from breathing in the air, rebuilding on the land, and later, planting in the soil. While this was a local event, its implications for understanding the implications of fires for human health, wherever they occur have been profound.  

This is just one example in which investments in the ingenuity of scientists at CIRES have direct benefits to community, national, and global interests. It is the agility with which these general funds can be deployed (after careful review of their purpose) that allows for the rapid advancement of high-impact and life-changing knowledge.