Keep track of every major Colorado wildfire
Here are the latest updates on active fires
The Colorado Sun is tracking wildfires burning across the state. Information on each fire, including details on size, cause and containment, is gathered from county sheriff’s and fire departments, state fire managers, the U.S. Forest Service and Inciweb, a federal wildfire database.
The Lee and Grease fires are seen burning outside of Meeker, Colorado, Aug. 3, 2025. (Photo courtesy of James Michels, Bureau of Land Management)
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2025 fires
Derby fire
90% contained as of Sept. 10
Started: Aug. 16, 2025
Size: 5,453 acres
Location: 13 miles north of Dotsero in rural Eagle County
Cause: Lightning
The Derby fire was sparked by lightning on an extremely steep cliff face in a remote area near the Flat Tops Wilderness. Smokejumpers who were assigned to the initial attack were hindered by burning debris that repeatedly ignited the slope below the main fire, fire managers said. The remote location makes fighting the fire very difficult.
On Aug. 22, a helicopter working the fire crashed and the pilot survived with just minor bumps and bruises, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Firefighters are not expecting the fire to grow, fire managers said Sept. 8, and are continuing to strengthen control lines and conduct suppression repair work.
Read the latest on firefighting efforts, here.
Last updated Sept. 26, 9:10 a.m.
Lee fire
99% contained as of Sept. 2
Started: Aug. 2, 2025
Size: 137,758 acres
Location: Rio Blanco County, 11 miles southwest of Meeker and west of Colorado 13
Cause: Lightning
The Lee fire created its own weather on Aug. 8 as hot, dry and windy conditions continued. Gov. Jared Polis mobilized the National Guard on Aug. 7.
Firefighters stopped the flames from making a run across Colorado 64 west of Meeker in the early days of the fire. Colorado 13 running north and south from Meeker to Rifle was also used to help slow the fire to the east.
The fire continued to grow southward, pushed by strong wind and dry conditions, officials said. It topped 100,000 acres on Aug. 9 and ranks as the fifth-largest wildfire in Colorado history.
Read the latest on firefighting efforts, here.
Last updated Sept. 2, 8:01 a.m.
Stoner Mesa fire
95% contained as of Sept. 30
Started: July 28, 2025
Size: 10,249 acres
Location: west of Rico in Dolores County burning in San Juan National Forest land
Cause: Lightning
The fire is burning along Stoner Creek and on Taylor Mesa in mixed conifer with substantial dead standing and down trees. Fire behavior was extreme due to the prolonged lack of moisture, low humidity levels, and strong, shifting winds, according to fire officials on scene.
Access to much of the fire area was limited early on, due to mountain topography, heavy fuel loading and fire intensity.
Read the latest on firefighting efforts, here.
Last updated Sept. 30, 9:08 a.m.
South Rim fire
52% contained as of Aug. 9
Started: July 10, 2025
Size: 4,232 acres
Location: South rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 9 miles east of Montrose
Cause: Lightning
It was one of two fires that sparked in the national park in western Colorado on July 10. The other wildfire, on the north rim, was much smaller and quickly extinguished.
Firefighters protected the log cabin-style visitor center, which opened in 1966, by removing dried-up vegetation around the building and putting a protective layer of material on the outside.
Officials announced the South Rim of the national park would reopen Aug. 18.
A park spokesperson said Aug. 15 two fire engines remain on scene looking for hot spots, but total containment remains at only 52% because steep areas of the canyon where the fire went can’t be confirmed as contained. It could be until the first snowfall that the fire is considered 100% contained, the spokesperson said.
Read the latest on firefighting efforts, here.
Last updated Aug. 15, 7 a.m.
Turner Gulch fire
100% contained as of Sept. 3
Started: July 10, 2025
Size: 31,699 acres
Location: Mesa County, southwest of Grand Junction; 8 miles northeast of Gateway
Cause: Lightning
Both the Turner Gulch fire and Wright Draw fire to the west were reported after extensive dry lightning and windy conditions, officials said. Both fires burned along steep terrain on either side of Unaweep Canyon and were difficult to reach by ground for firefighters.
The Wright Draw fire burned 466 acres.
Last updated Sept. 3, 2:45 p.m.
Crosho fire
100% contained as of Aug. 26
Started: Aug. 11, 2025
Size: 2,073 acres
Location: Rio Blanco County, 7.5 miles northwest of Yampa
Cause: unknown
The fire burned immediately adjacent and north of Crosho Lake in Rio Blanco County and then crossed into Routt County.
Read the latest on firefighting efforts, here.
Last updated Aug. 26, 10:27 a.m.
Elk fire
100% contained as of Aug. 16
Started: Aug. 2, 2025
Size: 14,518 acres
Location: Rio Blanco County, 10 miles east of Meeker
Cause: Lightning
Two houses and one outbuilding were destroyed in the Elk fire, officials said, warning that other structures may be at risk.
Crews started to gain containment on the fire Aug. 9 after it burned for a week through dry fuels on private land, state land and Bureau of Land Management land.
Read the latest on firefighting efforts, here.
Last updated Aug. 17, 7 a.m.
Twelve fire
100% contained as of Aug. 11
Started: Aug. 6, 2025
Size: 4,287 acres
Location: near Elk Springs in Moffat County
Cause: unknown
A shed and an outhouse were destroyed, but no homes were lost in the Twelve fire.
Last updated Aug. 12, 10:30 p.m.
Sowbelly fire
100% contained as of Aug. 4
Started: July 10, 2025
Size: 2,274 acres
Location: Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, northwest of Delta
Cause: Lightning
The Sowbelly fire is one of several fires that were started July 10 by a regional lightning storm.
Firefighters had difficulty fighting the fire from the ground due to challenging and remote terrain, federal fire managers said.
Crews are continuing to work to contain the fire, using techniques that would have the smallest impact on the land and ecosystem like hand lines.
Horse Draw fire
100% contained as of June 30
Started: June, 26, 2025
Size: 748 acres
Location: north of U.S. Highway 40 near mile post 20 in the Horse Draw and Three Springs areas in Moffat County, near the Colorado-Utah border
Cause: Unknown
The Horse Draw fire briefly closed U.S. 40 Thursday as it rapidly spread across 800 acres of grass, sagebrush, pinyon and juniper, federal wildfire officials said.
Because of extreme fire behavior and rapid spread, officials shut down the highway as fire and smoke make it difficult for drivers and wildland firefighters to see. The highway reopened Thursday night.
Hilltop fire
100% contained as of June 28
Started: June, 26, 2025
Size: 326 acres
Location: near Rifle in Garfield County
Cause: Under investigation
The Hilltop fire burned near Rifle was estimated at 375 acres and was 100% contained by 8 p.m. June 28, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
The fire sparked Thursday afternoon near Rulison and quickly spread with high temperatures and wind, authorities said.
One house and an RV were destroyed by the fire, which moved south and east from its initial ignition point, the sheriff’s office said. Between 20 to 25 households were evacuated.
The fire’s cause is still under investigation.
Colorado’s 2025 wildfire outlook
While Colorado may be on track to have an “average” wildfire year, southern Colorado is expected to see elevated fire risk amid dry conditions, fire officials and the governor warned Wednesday.
“Today is more of a question of when, not if, a fire might affect our communities and that’s why we’re hard at work upping the bar on fire preparedness at the state level,” Gov. Jared Polis said during the state’s annual wildfire outlook held inside the state’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s hangar in Broomfield.
Elevated fire risk will continue through May in southeastern Colorado, where there has been a lack of moisture and high winds have swept across parched land. That risk will shift toward southwestern Colorado by the end of the summer, Polis said.
Summer will bring average wildfire risk for most of the state, Polis said. But even during an average year, about 6,000 fires will likely spark in Colorado and approximately 160,000 acres will be scorched.
Ahead of peak wildfire season, the state’s strategy to fight fires starts with mitigation work to prevent fires and satellite surveillance tools to quickly spot sparks before they grow into out-of-control fires, Polis said.
“The situation we’re always worried about is, if those out-of-state resources are not available, we need to make sure to have our own,” the governor said.
Read more:
— Olivia Prentzel
Contained 2024 fires
Bucktail fire
Started: Aug. 1, 2024
Size: 7,202 acres
Location: About 6.5 miles northeast of Nucla in Montrose County
Cause: Unknown
The Bucktail fire grew to about 1,760 acres Friday after it was first reported about 11:20 a.m. Thursday on private land in Nucla, in Montrose County, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Nearly a dozen air resources and dozens of firefighters began aggressively attacking the fire as it rapidly spread into dense forest.
No structures are damaged, officials said Aug. 2, but the fire showed “extreme fire behavior.” The fire is burning pinyon pine, juniper and oak brush on national and federal lands.
The cause of the Bucktail fire is unknown.
Alexander Mountain fire
100% contained as of Aug. 17
Started: July 29, 2024
Size: 9,668 acres
Location: North of Big Thompson Canyon in the area around Alexander Mountain, in Larimer County
Cause: unknown, investigation ongoing
The Alexander Mountain fire burning on the Roosevelt National Forest north of Big Thompson Canyon and west of The Dam Store was reported around 11:11 a.m. July 29 and the Loveland Fire Authority was first on the scene. It was considered fully contained Aug. 17.
On Aug. 1, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said at least two dozen structures had been damaged or destroyed. That was later updated to 26 homes and 21 outbuilding destroyed and four homes damaged. There have been no injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and officials from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Forest Service are looking at the starting point.
Last updated Aug. 18 at 8:05 a.m.
Big Gulch fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Aug. 9
Started: Aug. 7, 2024
Size: 1,164 acres
Location: Moffat County Roads 90 and 174W, near Craig
Cause: undetermined, though investigators believe lightning could have caused the fire
Wildfire crews with the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office along with the Bureau of Land Management and Craig Fire have fully contained the Big Gulch fire in Moffat County.
The fire was first reported Aug. 7 and is burning on public and private lands, the sheriff’s office said. No structures are threatened and Highway 40 is open.
Though contained, the fire was still burning on 201 acres of BLM land and 963 acres of private land, Sgt. Todd Wheeler with the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office said Aug. 12.
Because of a lack of moisture, firefighters are seeing dust devils form in the burn scar which are causing concern for the public, Wheeler said. Wildland fire crews with BLM and the sheriff’s office are doing daily monitoring to check hot spots.
Last updated Aug. 12 at 7:55 a.m.
Quarry fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Aug. 7
Started: July 30, 2024
Size: 578 acres
Location: Deer Creek Canyon in Jefferson County
Cause: Human, arson investigation underway
A Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy discovered the fire in Deer Creek Canyon at about 9 p.m. July 30. It was burning on only about 100 square feet at the time, but within three hours it had grown to 100 acres. It was fully contained on Aug. 7.
Nearly 600 homes were evacuated in five subdivisions. One concern fighting the fire was rattlesnakes as firefighters worked in an area known as Rattlesnake Gulch.
Last updated Aug. 7 at 3:31 p.m.
Stone Canyon fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Aug. 4
Started: July 30, 2024
Size: 1,553 acres
Location: North of Lyons in Boulder County
Cause: under investigation
One person died and five structures burned in the Stone Canyon fire that burned north of Lyons. It started July 30 and was estimated to have burned more than 1,300 acres as of 10 a.m. July 31, according to the Lyons Fire Protection District. Several evacuation orders were issued.
Federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were looking into the fire alongside Boulder County authorities. The federal law enforcement agency investigates acts of arson, as well as terrorism and illegal storage of explosives. The cause of the fire is so far unknown, but the involvement of the ATF indicates authorities suspect it was human-caused.
Last updated Aug. 5 at 11:20 a.m.
Oak Ridge fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Aug. 2
Started: June 22, 2024
Size: 1,310 acres
Location: 3 miles northwest of Beulah in Pueblo County, near Custer County
The fire was first noticed around 9 a.m. June 22, when the Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District reported that fire crews were headed to the national forest to investigate smoke that was spotted by Beulah Highlands residents. “The fire is confirmed to be a single, downed tree burning,” the district reported at 9:40 a.m. It was determined the cause was a lightning strike.
It took several weeks for crews to contain the fire due to steep, rocky and rough terrain that posed a high risk for firefighters, officials said.
Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor heat that still remains in the interior of the fire foot print, well inside the fire lines, officials said in an Aug. 2 update.
Last updated Aug. 2 at 2:05 p.m.
Lake Shore fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Aug. 1
Started: July 31, 2024
Size: 6 acres
Location: Near Gross Reservoir in Boulder County
A wildfire that ignited near Gross Reservoir in Boulder County burned at least one home and another structure before first responders were able to stop its growth.
The county sheriff’s office said the Lake Shore fire burned about five or six acres near the Lake Shore Park neighborhood on the northeastern edge of the reservoir. Firefighting planes were able to surround the burn area in flame retardant, stopping the blaze before it got out of control.
A second structure was “impacted” by the fire, but officials said they weren’t sure if it was a home and the extent of the damage.
Read more: Fourth Front Range wildfire forces evacuations near Gross Reservoir in Boulder County
Last updated Aug. 2 at 10:05 a.m.
Interlaken fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of June 24
Started: June 11, 2024
Size: 705 acres
Location: 12 miles southwest of Leadville, near Twin Lakes
On June 21, the burn area was downsized to 698 acres from 748 acres after more exact mapping was done. The fire was announced as contained on June 24. No structures were damaged and the Interlaken Historic District buildings were not threatened.
Dispatchers received reports of the fire about 1:30 p.m. June 11, the sheriff’s office said. The U.S. Forest Service said the cause of the fire was an abandoned campfire.
Spruce Creek fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of June 1
Started: May 14, 2024
Size: 5,699 acres
Location: 11 miles northeast of Dolores in Montezuma County
Firefighters worked from the sky and on the ground to widen the fire lines, allowing the fire to consume dead fuels. Wider containment lines boost firefighter safety and reduce the likelihood of a wildfire jumping the line, the National Forest said in its update. After the fire perimeter was secure, crews burned the remaining vegetation between the containment line and the main fire.
The fire was sparked by lightning May 14 and burned inside a network of forest service roads, northeast of Dolores.
Last updated June 3, 2024 11:53 a.m.
Contained 2023 fires
Little Mesa | Spring Creek | Quartz Ridge | Dry Lake | Devil’s Thumb | Chris Mountain | Titan | 403
Coal Mine fire
Started: July 6, 2023
Size: 286 acres
Location: About 18 miles south of Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County
Cause: Lightning
Crews worked to mop up the lightning-sparked fire in southwest Colorado near the Southern Ute Reservation. In fire managers’ latest update, no smoke was seen coming from the fire despite strong wind gusts.
Lowline fire
Started: July 26, 2023
Size: 1,999 acres
Location: 14 miles northwest of Gunnison and 11 miles southwest of Crested Butte
Cause: Lightning
Evacuations were ordered after lightning sparked the Lowline fire, which threatened 10 structures between Squirrel and Mill creeks, according to the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. The fire was burning on a ridge at 9,400 feet in spruce and aspen forest with heavy dead and downed timber.
Read more of our coverage of the Lowline fire.
Last updated Oct. 19, 2023 10:46 a.m.
Bear Creek fire
Started: Aug. 1, 2023
Size: 1,093 acres
Location: About 2½ miles west of the Weminuche Valley in southwestern Colorado
Cause: Lightning
Crews closely monitored the fire and its potential to spread to the northeast, officials from the U.S. Forest Service said.
Last updated Oct. 19, 2023 10:46 a.m.
Hope fire
Started: Sept. 21, 2023
Size: 1,290 acres
Location: northwest of the McPhee River in southwest Colorado
Cause: Lightning
Firefighters worked on the fire lines to control the fire, which is burning at Hoppe Point, east of Bradley Campground.
Last updated Oct. 26, 2023 12:28 p.m.
Trail Springs fire
Started: Oct. 19, 2023
Size: 1,358 acres
Location: about 12 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs
Cause: Lightning
The fire was burning in an area with dense forest above West Devil Creek, which is about three miles northwest of Chris Mountain. Fire managers reported moderate fire activity with isolated tree torching. Crews worked to contain the fire so that it did not spread northeast toward private property.
For more details, visit InciWeb.
Little Mesa fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Sept. 20
Started: July 31, 2023
Size: 4,009 acres
Location: About 12 miles southwest of Delta, burning on Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area
Cause: Lightning
Fire crews used natural barriers, like streams and large areas of rock, to keep the fire from growing in certain areas, according to an update from the Bureau of Land Management. The fire chewed through juniper, pinyon pine, sage brush and grass.
Last updated Oct. 19, 2023 10:43 a.m.
Spring Creek fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Sept. 5
Started: June 24, 2023
Size: 3,256 acres
Location: Southwest of Parachute in Garfield County
Cause: Undetermined
The fire burning southwest of Parachute in western Colorado exploded overnight in late June and grew to 3,000 acres as dry conditions and strong winds fueled the flames.
Read our coverage of the Spring Creek fire.
Last updated Sept. 19, 2023, 11:51 a.m.
Quartz Ridge fire
100% of the perimeter contained
Started: Aug. 5, 2023
Size: 2,850 acres
Location: About 3 miles into the San Juan Wilderness in southwestern Colorado and 13 miles northeast of Pagosa Springs
Cause: Lightning
The Quartz Ridge fire burned in a relatively remote and inaccessible area of the South San Juan Wilderness, according to the U.S. Forest Service.Steep terrain, the remote location and risks associated with working dead and downed trees made fighting the fire challenging, the service said. The fire chewed through conifer, spruce and fir trees and at lower elevations, aspens.
Last updated Jan. 8, 2024 1:54 p.m.
Dry Lake fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Aug. 12
Started: Aug. 1, 2023
Size: 1,372 acres
Location: Burning on San Juan National Forest land northeast of Bayfield
Cause: Lightning
Fire crews continue to mop up and control the fire line, according to an Aug. 12 update from Inciweb, a federal database. The fire, which sparked on a network of off-road vehicle trails, may continue to smolder but fire activity is expected to remain minimal.
Last updated Aug. 14, 2023 8:00 a.m.
Devil’s Thumb fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of Aug. 2
Started: July 4, 2023
Size: 81 acres
Location: Devil’s Thumb trailhead in the Indian Peaks wilderness about 7 miles northeast of Fraser in Grand County
Cause: Lightning
Federal and county fire crews worked to extinguish the fire, which was burning in steep, rocky terrain in the Indian Peak Wilderness with heavy pine beetle kill and spruce blowdown.
Last updated Aug. 8 2023 5:10 p.m.
Chris Mountain fire
100% of the perimeter contained as of July 26
Started: June 28, 2023
Size: 511 acres
Location: About 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs, north of Highway 160 on Chris Mountain in Archuleta County
Cause: Lightning
Crews worked to contain the fire burning on national forest-owned land, but officials warned that smoke could be visible in the following days as interior pockets of the fire, composed of dead and downed trees, continued to burn. The fire did not cross onto private property, but evacuations were issued (and have since been lifted) for those living near the heel of the fire.
Last updated July 27, 2023 10:31 a.m.
Titan fire
100% of perimeter contained as of July 2
Started: June 28, 2023
Size: 930 acres
Location: About 11 miles northwest of Trinidad in Las Animas County
Cause: Under investigation
403 fire
100% of perimeter contained as of March 30
Started: March 30, 2023
Size: 1,559 acres
Location: Near Florissant in Teller County, west of Colorado Springs
Cause: Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said his office is pursuing criminal charges against the person who started the fire on their property.
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Credits
Reporting: Olivia Prentzel
Editing: David Krause
Page design: Danika Worthington and Kevin Jeffers
Credits
Reporting: Olivia Prentzel
Editing: David Krause
Page design: Danika Worthington and Kevin Jeffers