List Of Colorado Wildfires - Wikipedia

List of wildfires in the U.S. State of Colorado

This is a list of the largest, most destructive, and deadliest Colorado wildfires that have occurred in modern history.[1]

During the severe 2002 Colorado wildfire season that burned nearly 360,000 acres, the Hayman Fire became the largest wildfire in Colorado state history. It held that title for nearly 20 years,[2][3] until the Pine Gulch Fire surpassed it in August 2020.[4] The Cameron Peak Fire became the largest wildfire in Colorado history seven weeks later, and ended up burning a total of 208,913 acres.

The 2012 Colorado forest fires broke the record for most destructive fire twice and led to declaration of a federal disaster area in June 2012.[5] The 2013 Colorado forest fires, fueled by high heat and winds,[6] again broke the record for the most destructive, and included what was the second largest fire (by area) in Colorado history, until being surpassed by several fires in 2020. With multiple record-breaking fires, the 2020 Colorado wildfire season became the largest in the state's history after burning 665,454 acres (269,300 ha).[7]

According to CSU, wildfires in Colorado burned less than 100,000 acres (40,469 ha) per decade over the 1960s and the 1970s. For the 1980s and 1990s, the total was over 200,000 acres (80,937 ha) per decade. For the 2000s, the total was approximately 200,000 acres (80,937 ha).

Background

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While "fire season" varies every year based on different weather conditions, most wildfires occur between May and September with a fire risk year-round with an increasing danger during winter. Drought and decreasing snowpack levels and lowering snowmelt and runoff increase fire risk. These conditions, along with increased temperatures and decreased humidity, are becoming more common from climate change. Vegetation growth provides an ample fuel for fires. From 2011 to 2020, Colorado experiences an average of 5,618 wildfires each year that collectively burn about 237,500 acres (96,100 ha).[8]

Area burned per year

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Starting in 2000, the National Interagency Fire Center began keeping more accurate records on the total fire acreage burned in each state, and has statistics going back to 1995.[9]

Year	Fires	Acres	Ref
1995	2,224	32,011	[10]
1996	1,800	46,600	[10]
1997	1,605	16,703	[10]
1998	1,428	8,826	[10]
1999	1,978	33,255	[10]
2000	2,043	76,288	[10]
2001	2,966	45,816	[11]
2002	4,600	619,029	[12]
2003	3,957	43,858	[13]
2004	2,814	35,303	[14]
2005	2,969	41,048	[15]
2006	4,515	214,979	[16]
2007	3,914	26,515	[17]
2008	2,883	149,891	[18]
2009	3,991	74,549	[19]
2010	4,289	80,708	[20]
2011	5,203	176,720	[21]
2012	6,114	426,403	[22]
2013	4,906	222,916	[23]
2014	3,733	23,357	[24]
2015	3,442	26,318	[25]
2016	5,572	122,517	[26]
2017	6,036	111,284	[27]
2018	7,092	467,424	[28]
2019	7,318	53,744	[29]
2020	6,716	744,120	[30]
2021	6,679	56,056	[31]
2022	8,370	56,403	[32]
2023	7,175	40,996	[33]
2024	8,541	36,207	[34]
5-year average	6,273	95,342	[34]

Ten largest Colorado wildfires

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As of August 2025, the 10 largest wildfires in Colorado have been:

Name	County	Acres	Start date	Structures	Deaths	Notes
1.	Cameron Peak	Larimer	208,913	August 2020	469	6	Burned over a span of 112 days.[35][36] All deaths occurred in post-fire flood events related to the fire. Four people died in 2021,[37] and two people died in 2022[38] from post-fire flash flood and debris flow events.
2.	East Troublesome	Grand, Larimer	193,812	October 2020	555	2	The wildfire ran more than 100,000 acres in one day and jumped over the Continental Divide, prompting an evacuation of the entire town of Estes Park.[39]
3.	Pine Gulch	Mesa, Garfield	139,007	July 2020	1	0	Briefly became the largest wildfire in Colorado history.[40]
4.	Hayman	Douglas, Jefferson, Park, Teller	138,114	June 2002	600	6	Held the title of the largest wildfire in Colorado for 18 years. Five deaths were firefighters who died in an accident en route to the fire.[41]
5.	Lee Fire	Rio Blanco	137,758	August 2025	7 as of 11 August[42]	0	[43]
6.	West Fork Complex	Hinsdale, Mineral	109,615	June 2013	0	0	Consists of multiple wildfires that burned in close proximity. Two of the wildfires, the West Fork Fire (58,570 acres) and the Papoose Fire (49,628 acres), would be the 8th and 10th largest fires in Colorado if treated separately.[44]
7.	Spring Creek	Costilla, Huerfano	108,045	June 2018	140	0	[45]
8.	High Park	Larimer	87,415	June 2012	259	1	[46]
9.	Missionary Ridge	La Plata	73,000	June 2002	47	1	[47]
10.	416	La Plata	54,130	June 2018	0	0	[48]

Ten most destructive Colorado wildfires

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As of August 2025, the 10 most destructive wildfires in Colorado have been:

Name	County	Acres	Start date	Total structures	Deaths	Notes
1.	Marshall	Boulder	6,026	December 2021	1,091	2	1,084 homes and 7 commercial buildings were destroyed, all within a 24-hour period beginning early on December 30.[49][50]
2.	Hayman	Douglas, Jefferson, Park, Teller	138,114	June 2002	600	6	Held the title of the largest wildfire in Colorado for 18 years. Five deaths were firefighters who died in an accident en route to the fire.[41]
3.	East Troublesome	Grand, Larimer	193,812	October 2020	555	2	The wildfire ran more than 100,000 acres in one day and jumped over the Continental Divide, prompting an evacuation of the entire town of Estes Park.[39]
4.	Black Forest	El Paso	14,280	June 2013	489	2	Was the most destructive fire in terms of number of homes lost until the Marshall Fire.[51]
5.	Cameron Peak	Larimer	208,913	August 2020	469	6	Burned over a span of 112 days.[35][36] All deaths occurred in post-fire flood events related to the fire. Four people died in 2021,[37] and two people died in 2022[38] from post-fire flash flood and debris flow events.
6.	Waldo Canyon	El Paso	18,247	June 2012	346	2	[52]
7.	High Park	Larimer	87,415	June 2012	259	1	[46]
8.	Four Mile Canyon	Boulder	5,700	September 2010	162	0	[53]
9.	Spring Creek	Costilla, Huerfano	108,045	June 2018	140	0	[45]
10.	Iron Mountain	Fremont	4,439	June 2002	106	1	[54]

Colorado's deadliest wildfires (5+ deaths)

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As of January 2025, these are all the wildfires that have resulted in five or more deaths in Colorado:

Name	County	Acres	Start date	Total structures	Deaths	Notes
1.	South Canyon	Garfield	2,115	July 1994	0	14	All deaths were firefighters.[55]
2.	Stable/Cheyenne Mountain	El Paso	Unknown*	January 1950	89	9	*News articles state the fire grew to over 50 square miles in size, but this is very likely an exaggeration. No reliable records or sources exist. The wildfire spread rapidly with 70mph gusts and threatened the Broadmoor Hotel.[56]
3.	Cameron Peak	Larimer	208,913	August 2020	469	6	Burned over a span of 112 days.[35][36] All deaths occurred in post-fire flood events related to the fire. Four people died in 2021,[37] and two people died in 2022[38] from post-fire flash flood and debris flow events.
3.	Hayman	Douglas, Jefferson, Park, Teller	138,114	June 2002	600	6	Held the title of the largest wildfire in Colorado for 18 years. Five deaths were firefighters who died in an accident en route to the fire.[41]

See also

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• 2012 Colorado wildfires
• 2013 Colorado wildfires
• 2020 Colorado wildfires
• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
• Outline of Colorado
• Timeline of Colorado history

References

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1. ^ Colorado State Forest Service. Wildfire Policy in Transition: Where There's Smoke, There's Mirrors. Archived June 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ Colorado State Forest Service. Colorado Wildfires, State & Private Lands, 1978–2009. Archived June 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ Colorado State Forest Service.Colorado Wildfires Broken Down By Decade (with charts). Archived June 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ Pine Gulch fire becomes largest in Colorado history as firefighters near full containment, Colorado Sun, August 27, 2020, accessed August 28, 2020.
5. ^ Associated Press (June 29, 2012). Obama declares disaster in Colorado as fires burn. Fox News
6. ^ "Fire 30% contained, 473 homes burned". Denver Post. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
7. ^ Ingold, John (October 20, 2020). "Five charts that show where 2020 ranks in Colorado wildfire history". Colorado Sun. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
8. ^ "Colorado Fire Season: In-Depth Guide". wfca.com. Western Fire Chiefs Association. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
9. ^ "Intelligence". National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center.
10. ^ a b c d e f "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
11. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
12. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
13. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
14. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
15. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
16. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
17. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
18. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
19. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
20. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
21. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
22. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
23. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
24. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
25. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
26. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
27. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
28. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
29. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
30. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
31. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
32. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
33. ^ "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
34. ^ a b "Seasonal Narrative" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
35. ^ a b c Nicholson, Kieran. "A total of 469 structures were destroyed or damaged by Cameron Peak fire". Denver Post. Denver Post. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
36. ^ a b c "Cameron Peak Fire". Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed. Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
37. ^ a b c Schmelzer, Elise (June 26, 2021). "Third body recovered from Poudre Canyon flood as coroner identifies two of deceased". Denver Post. Denver Post. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
38. ^ a b c Hager, Alex. "Two killed in flash flooding west of Fort Collins". NPR News, Colorado Stories. NPR News. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
39. ^ a b "East Troublesome Fire, Northern Colorado". East Troublesome Fire, Northern Colorado. National Weather Service. December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
40. ^ "Pine Gulch Fire, Western Colorado". Pine Gulch Fire, Western Colorado. National Weather Service Grand Junction. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
41. ^ a b c "Case Study, Hayman Fire". American Planning Association. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
42. ^ Krause, David. "Lee fire now 5th-largest in state history, burning more than 113k acres in northwestern Colorado". Colorado Sun. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
43. ^ Contreras, Óscar (August 26, 2025). "Lee Fire burning near Meeker remains fifth-largest wildfire in Colorado history". Denver7. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
44. ^ "West Fork Fire Complex". US Forest Service. US Forest Service. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
45. ^ a b "Spring Fire now officially 100 percent contained". KOAA NEWS5. KOAA. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
46. ^ a b "Learn from the Burn: The High Park fire 5 years later" (PDF). US Forest Service. US Forest Service. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
47. ^ Hannon, Aedon. "20 years later: Missionary Ridge Fire torched homes, devastated lives and taught us lessons". Durango Herald. Durango Herald. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
48. ^ Hansen, Lindsey. "416 Fire Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Executive Summary" (PDF). San Juan National Forest. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
49. ^ "Boulder County releases updated list of structures damaged and destroyed in the Marshall Fire". Boulder County. Boulder County. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
50. ^ "Looking back at Colorado's Marshall Fire". NOAA. NOAA. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
51. ^ "Black Forest Fire Investigation Executive Summary 13-7655" (PDF). El Paso County Sheriff's Office.
52. ^ "Waldo Canyon Fire, Final After Action Report" (PDF). City of Colorado Springs. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
53. ^ Russell, Graham. "Fourmile Canyon Fire Findings" (PDF). USDA. USDA.
54. ^ Alexander, Rachel. "Iron Mountain Fire burned hot and fast, covering 4,439 acres". Cason City Daily Record. Cason City Daily Record. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
55. ^ "South Canyon Fire". South Canyon Fire. South Canyon Fire Committee.
56. ^ "Stable Fire Entrapment Fatalities 1950". Wildfire.gov. Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center. Retrieved January 19, 2025.

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