Colorado Wildfire History
Data draws primarily from official sources like the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) and historical summaries. Acreage figures are final or near-final estimates; impacts can vary slightly by source.
Largest by Acreage (2016–2026)
These are among the biggest in state history, with many occurring in the last decade:
- Cameron Peak Fire (2020): 208,913 acres, Larimer County (Roosevelt National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park area). Burned for over 110 days; destroyed or damaged hundreds of structures (~469 impacted). It remains Colorado's largest wildfire on record.
- East Troublesome Fire (2020): 193,812 acres, Grand and Larimer counties. Extremely rapid growth (over 100,000 acres in one day at peak); jumped the Continental Divide; destroyed ~580 structures and killed 2 people. One of the most destructive by structures lost.
- Pine Gulch Fire (2020): 139,007 acres, Mesa and Garfield counties (near Grand Junction). Briefly held the record as Colorado's largest before being surpassed in the same year; lightning-caused.
- Lee Fire (2025): ~137,758–138,844 acres (figures vary slightly by reporting date), Rio Blanco County (near Meeker). Ranked as the 5th largest in state history; significant growth in 2025.
- Spring Creek Fire (2018): 108,045 acres, Costilla and Huerfano counties. Human-caused; damaged or destroyed at least 251 homes.
Other notable large fires by acreage in the period include:
- 416 Fire (2018): ~54,129 acres, near Durango (San Juan National Forest area).
- Beaver Creek Fire (2016): ~38,380 acres, Jackson County (Routt National Forest).
- Grizzly Creek Fire (2020): ~32,631 acres, Glenwood Canyon area (highly visible along I-70; disrupted travel).
Most Destructive by Structures/Homes Lost or Other Impacts
Size isn't the only measure—some smaller fires caused outsized damage due to location near communities or extreme winds:
- Marshall Fire (2021): ~6,026–6,080 acres, Boulder County (Louisville, Superior, and unincorporated areas). Colorado's most destructive wildfire by structures; destroyed 1,084 homes and businesses; killed 2 people; caused over $2 billion in damage. Driven by hurricane-force winds in a suburban/grassland interface; started from a combination of reignited embers and power line issues.
- East Troublesome Fire (2020): As noted above, ~580 structures destroyed (ranks high in destructiveness).
- Cameron Peak Fire (2020): ~461–469 structures impacted.
Other Notable Fires (2016–2026) These had significant local or regional impacts:
- High Park Fire (2012) is just outside the window but often referenced; many lists note a sharp increase in large fires since ~2012.
- Cold Springs Fire (2016) and others in Boulder County area.
- Grassland or interface fires like MM 117 (2018) (~42,795 acres) and Badger Hole (2018) (~33,000+ acres in Colorado portion) caused livestock and agricultural losses.
- Smaller but impactful fires in 2022–2024 and early 2026 (e.g., various Front Range or Western Slope incidents) burned thousands of acres cumulatively, though no single event matched the 2020 scale in recent years.
Context on Trends:
- 2020 was Colorado's largest wildfire season by far, with over 744,000 acres burned statewide and three of the top fires occurring that year.
- Eight of the state's top 10 largest wildfires (by acreage) have occurred since 2012, reflecting hotter, drier conditions and fuel buildup.
- Wildfires in this period have increasingly threatened the wildland-urban interface, leading to more structure losses even in smaller-acreage events like the Marshall Fire.
- Causes vary: lightning, human (e.g., power lines, equipment), with wind and drought as major amplifiers.
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