Colorado wildfires

The Elk fire near Lake City, Colorado, has grown to approximately 6,760 acres and is currently 36% contained as of August 9, 2026. The wildfire, first reported on July 9 and sparked by lightning, grew significantly last week, doubling its footprint in just two days. Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for the San Juan Springs subdivision, while several other areas remain on pre-evacuation status. Fire crews are prioritizing the protection of homes and structures closest to the fire, which is primarily advancing to the west. Elevated fire danger conditions are expected to persist, although moderating weather with potential precipitation may arrive early next week. 

Wildfires in Colorado have scorched more than 242,000 acres of land, more than twice the size of Denver, as of late July, surpassing the state’s average annual burn area of 237,000 acres.

The fires, including three of the largest in Colorado history, have already destroyed hundreds of properties and killed four firefighters. Fire ecologists warn that the damage is likely to grow. 

With 22 active wildfires burning across Colorado, and dozens more ravaging communities across the western United States and Canada.

PL Gulch Fire Burning about 20 miles southwest of Meeker, this fire, which is burning grass, brush, juniper and pinyon fuels, was first reported on July 13 and is 1,580 acres and is 95% as of Wednesday morning.

Two fires broke out on July 12 near Steamboat Springs: The Fishhook Fire and the Green Ridge Fire. The Fishhook Fire has burned 309 acres and is 89% contained. It is less than a mile from Highway 40 on Rabbit Ears Pass. No mandatory evacuations are in place. The Green Ridge Fire south of Stagecoach State Park, which forced evacuations, burned 41 acres and is fully contained.

The Elk Fire sparked on July 9 in the Uncompahgre Wilderness Area of northern Hinsdale County, just east of the Gold Mountain Fire. The lightning-caused fire has burned 2,300 acres in remote and rugged terrain. As of Thursday morning, it is 0% contained.

The Aspen Acres fire grew by another 2,000 acres to 93,634 acres.
The fire burning in Pueblo and Custer counties is 16% contained.

The fire’s rapid growth has been fueled by exceptionally dry conditions across southern Colorado. With record-low snowpack and above-average temperatures, “it is no surprise that we are in severe to extreme drought in the communities that were affected by this fire,” Trent Smith, one of two incident meteorologists with the National Weather Service assigned to the fire, said during a briefing.

Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero at a press conference on July 6, 2026, where he announced that 185 homes in his county were destroyed by the Aspen Acres fire. Another 78 are known to be destroyed in Custer County. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun).
Officials said the fire has burned at least 263 homes — 185 in Pueblo County and 78 in Custer County.

Wind gusts from passing storms also fueled the Ferris fire burning near Dolores, pushing flames toward containment lines, fire officials said. The fire was burning 51,622 acres and was 22% contained.

In mid-July 2026, the Gold Mountain Fire in Colorado has burned approximately 38,000 acres and is only 14% contained. The fire is part of a record-breaking wildfire season across the American West, with the Aspen Acres Fire consuming over 100,000 acres and destroying 337 homes and more than 800 structures. 

Around 900 firefighters from 37 states and the Virgin Islands are stationed at a command center in Ridgway, Colorado, where they gather daily for briefings on fire conditions and safety protocols. 

The situation is exacerbated by a state of emergency in Washington and the U.S. operating at Planning Level 5, indicating maximum resource deployment. Tragically, a Canadian helicopter pilot died in a crash while fighting the Gold Mountain Fire, highlighting the inherent dangers faced by firefighting crews. 

The Aspen Acres Fire began burning in Custer and Pueblo counties on the morning of June 29. It is now one of the largest wildfires in state history. The 101,738-acre blaze has destroyed more than 850 structures and is 61% contained at last check. The human-caused fire ranks among Colorado's most destructive wildfires by the number of homes destroyed. Although the cause has been determined, the exact manner and origin of the blaze are not yet known.

The Willow Fire in Lake County, just south of Turquoise Lake and west of Leadville, was first reported on June 28. The 7,196-acre blaze is at 55% containment at last check. At least 14 people have been injured. No structural losses have been reported. The fire was human-caused, but the exact manner and origin of the blaze are not yet known.

The Ferris Fire began burning in Dolores and Montezuma counties on June 27. The lightning-sparked blaze has grown to become one of the largest wildfires in state history. The fire sits at 64,881 acres and 94% containment at last check. No injuries or structural loss have been reported.

The Gold Mountain Fire began burning north of Ouray in Ouray County on June 27. The lightning-sparked blaze has grown to over 38,000 acres. It sits at 27% containment at last check. No injuries or structural loss have been reported.

As of August 9, 2025, the Lee Fire is burning in Rio Blanco County, northwestern Colorado, west of Meeker near Colorado 64. 

Started by lightning on August 2, 2025, it has scorched over 60,000 acres, the 8th largest in Colorado's history, fueled by drought and winds up to 45 mph.

The fire affects the following areas:
● Colorado 13 Corridor
● Fourteen-mile Creek
● Meeker
● Rio Blanco County

The west and southeast of Meeker, including the Grand Hogback ridgeline, are affected badly. 
Smoke impacts air quality across the Western Slope, with red flag warnings issued.

Officials said the Lee Fire has grown so large and is burning so hot that it's creating its own weather. They said pyrocumulus clouds created by the intense convection, combined with moisture in the air, have reached 30,000 feet high. Nathe said the fire is creating its own winds and feeding itself.

The Lee Fire, west of the town of Meeker in Rio Blanco County, has burned an estimated 58,714 acres with 0% containment as of August 8. It’s believed to have been caused by lightning on August 2.

The nearby Elk Fire, southeast of Meeker, is also believed to have been caused by lightning on August 2. It has burned an estimated 14,518 acres as of August 8, and is 0% contained.

The air quality in Western Colorado is severely compromised by the blanket of smoke from five separate wildfires in the area.

The air quality in Delta, Montrose, Mesa, Gunnison, and San Miguel Counties is very low. Wildfire smoke may cause bodily irritation or discomfort to the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Those who are bothered by the smoke are advised to stay indoors as much as possible.

Firefighters across Colorado are having varying levels of success battling at least five wildfires in the state while watching a sixth that started in Utah. 

More than 2,200 acres on the Western Slope had been consumed by the Sowbelly fire as of the morning of July 14, which impacted Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties. The update from fire officials indicated 0% containment as of the morning of July 14.

Turner Gulch, Wright Draw fires prompting evacuations
The two smallest blazes on the western slope near Gateway in Mesa County are large enough to force evacuations from nearby areas. 

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office said evacuations were ordered for all areas of Highway 141 between mile markers 124 and 128.

The Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires have consumed more than 1,000 and more than 200 acres, respectively, according to Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management. It did not release a containment estimate.  

The blaze had grown to more than 10,000 acres and 0% containment as of the morning of July 14, according to Utah fire officials.

Airport Fire in Douglas County nearing containment
The Airport Fire was 90% contained as of the morning of July 14, prompting an emergency evacuation order to be lifted for the town of Louviers.   

The brushfire burned nearly 130 acres near Chatfield State Park, according to social media posts from South Metro Fire Rescue.

Gov. Jared Polis declared disasters in Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties in response to four of the blazes, with the South Rim Fire at Black Canyon of the Gunnison having burned more than 3,600 acres as of late on July 13. 

Crews are having much more success with a fire near Denver, with the Airport Fire in Douglas County 90% contained as of July 13. But the Deer Creek Fire, which has consumed more land in southern Utah than the Colorado fires have combined, is creeping toward Colorado.

South Rim Fire has passed 3,600 acres and  is growing
The largest fire burning in Colorado is the South Rim Fire, which had burned through more than 3,600 acres at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison as of the evening of July 13. Fire officials said the blaze likely grew after that measurement, as crews had to pull back when winds kicked up.

Four in Montrose, Delta and Mesa blazes were all apparently sparked by lightning on July 10 on the Western Slope and have consumed more than 7,000 acres.

The Colorado Fire, which burned 687 acres near Big Sur in Monterey County, was first reported January 21, 2022 and is 100 percent contained as of February 5, 2022. The wildfire burned in the Palo Colorado area between Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea, and was sparked by an escaped pile burn. Evacuation Orders were issued for the Palo Colorado Community on January 21, 2022 and lifted on January 26, 2022. No injuries or casualties have been reported in the blaze, and all evacuation orders and road closures have been lifted.

One of the most destructive wildfires in Colorado history, the East Troublesome Fire began on October 14, 2020, in the central Rocky Mountains east of Troublesome Creek in Grand County. A week later, high winds whipped the fire into a 100,000-acre inferno racing northeast through Grand Lake and into Rocky Mountain National Park. By the time snows and colder temperatures halted the fire in late October, it had killed two people, destroyed more than 400 houses and other structures, and burned 193,812 acres, making it the second-largest fire in state history. 

The fire is believed to be human-caused but remains under investigation. Parts of Rocky Mountain National Park remained closed through the week of Thanksgiving. The East Troublesome Fire was the third record-breaking fire of 2020, with all three blazes surpassing 130,000 acres.

The Cameron Peak Fire is the largest wildfire in Colorado history. It began on August 13, 2020, and burned 208,913 acres of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in western Larimer County. Thought to be human-caused, the fire ignited on the flanks of Cameron Peak some forty miles west of Fort Collins. After staying under 25,000 acres for three weeks, persistent dry conditions and high winds caused two major blowups—one on Labor Day weekend, when the fire ran some 80,000 acres, and another on October 14-17, when it made a 30,000-acre run toward Fort Collins followed by a 25,000-acre run toward the Big Thompson Canyon and Estes Park.

Although no one died, the fire burned some 469 structures, including 224 houses, and forced thousands of evacuations. For three months, the Cameron Peak Fire created toxic air quality along the Front Range from Greeley to Denver. The fire’s effects on the Cache la Poudre watershed are yet to be determined, but it is clear that forest and community recovery will likely take many years.

The Pine Gulch Fire was ignited by a lightning strike on July 31, 2020, about eighteen miles north of Grand Junction in Garfield and Mesa Counties. Over the next month, the fire grew to encompass more than 139,000 acres, making it the third-largest wildfire in Colorado history.

The Pine Gulch Fire burned simultaneously with several other fires across the state as part of a record-breaking 2020 wildfire season in the United States. For a time, the Pine Gulch Fire was the largest in Colorado history, until the Cameron Peak Fire displaced it in September. Fire conditions were influenced by high temperatures, low humidity, and high winds amid a statewide drought proclaimed in early August. Most structural damage was avoided, and while the Pine Gulch Fire did not directly threaten communities, it forced hundreds to evacuate, caused toxic air quality in Grand Junction, and cost $34 million to fight.

Started by an illegal campfire on June 27, 2018, the Spring Creek Fire raced across 108,045 acres of forested foothills in southern Colorado, near La Veta Pass on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley. By the time it was fully contained on September 10, the Spring Creek blaze was the third-largest wildfire in state history. It destroyed 141 structures and cost more than $32 million to fight.

Ignited by embers from a coal-fueled passenger train on June 1, 2018, the 416 Fire burned 54,130 acres of the San Juan National Forest in southwest Colorado. By the time it was fully contained on July 31, it had become the sixth-largest wildfire in Colorado history. Although the fire briefly threatened the communities of Hermosa and Durango, nobody was hurt and no structures were damaged.

The West Fork Complex refers to three separate wildfires ignited by lightning strikes in southern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains in June 2013. The West Fork, Windy Pass, and Papoose Fires broke out between June 5 and June 19. By the time they were contained on July 15, the three blazes scorched a total of 109,049 acres of public and private land in Mineral and Hinsdale Counties. The complex is the third-largest wildfire in Colorado history and cost about $33 million to fight.

Ignited by lightning in early June 2012, the High Park Fire became one of the largest and most destructive wildfires in Colorado history, burning 87,415 acres along the Cache la Poudre River in the mountains west of Fort Collins. By the time it was fully contained on June 30, the High Park Fire had destroyed more than 250 houses and killed one person. Insured property losses totaled more than $113 million.

The Missionary Ridge Fire occurred in Southwest Colorado during an unusually dry year and spread really quickly. Experts believe that sparks from a car dragging its muffler caused the incident. The fire covered an area of 6,500 acres on the first day alone. It also destroyed more than 46 homes in the area and led to the death of one firefighter. 

Begun on June 8, 2002, after a US Forest Service employee started a fire at a campsite, the Hayman Fire is the fourth-largest wildfire in Colorado history. Across a wide swath of foothills between South Park and Colorado Springs, the fire burned nearly 138,000 acres—including 60,000 in just one day—and destroyed more than 600 structures, including 133 houses. The fire also led to the deaths of five firefighters who died in a vehicle crash and one woman who suffered a fatal asthma attack after smoke inhalation.