Wildfire aftermath and 'an ounce of prevention...'

Several digital apps (such as Sortly, Encircle and Nest Egg) are now available to help simplify the process of creating a home inventory. (Shutterstock)

In Colorado, where I live, the local news has been peppered with stories about the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, a fast-moving December blaze that destroyed about 1,100 Boulder-area homes and businesses in a matter of hours.

In one such article, pianist Stella Pradeau describes leaving her Louisville, Colo., home for a lunch and shopping date and returning to find the property and its contents rendered to ashes. A $35,000 Steinway piano was one of several instruments the musician lost that day, and her insurance coverage won’t likely be enough to cover the loss.