2020 Colorado wildfires explained

2020 Colorado wildfires

Reference:

^[1] |total_area=665454acres|total_fires=1,078|fatalities=2^[2] |cost=>$266 million (suppression)|is_season=yes|year=2020|season_name=Colorado wildfires}}The 2020 Colorado wildfire season was a series of significant wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Colorado as part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season. With a total of 665454acres burned, and the 3 largest fires in state history, it is Colorado's largest wildfire season on record.^[3]

During this season, the Cameron Peak Fire burned 208,913 acres, making it the largest wildfire recorded in the state of Colorado after it surpassed the Pine Gulch Fire, which earned the title seven weeks prior.^[4] Also surpassing the Pine Gulch Fire in size was the East Troublesome Fire, which, when fully contained on November 30, had burned a total of 193,812 acres. In total, the suppression costs for the fires during the 2020 season amounted to at least $266 million (2020 USD). Throughout the year thousands of people were forced to evacuate, including the whole town of Estes Park during the East Troublesome fire. Air quality was poor as well through much of the fire season, especially during the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires.

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than, or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

Name	County	Acres	Start date	Containment date	Notes	Ref
Bent Fort	Otero	1,500	April 11	April 13	Human-caused.	^[5]
PCMS Complex	Las Animas	2,175	May 16	May 21	Unknown cause.	^[6]
Villegreen	Las Animas	1,731	May 18	May 18	Human-caused.	^[7]
Cherry Canyon	Las Animas	11,818	May 20	May 27	Caused by lightning.	^[8]
Bent Canyon	Las Animas	1,800	June 4	June 11	Caused by lightning.	^[9]
Barela	Las Animas	2,521	June 5	June 5	Caused by lightning.	^[10]
Sieber	Mesa	1,094	June 5	June 9	Unknown cause.	^[11]
Deer Canyon	Las Animas	3,872	June 6	June 20	Caused by lightning.	^[12]
Fawn Creek	Rio Blanco	3,226	July 13	July 23	Caused by lightning.	^[13]
East Canyon	La Plata, Montezuma	2,905	June 14	June 27	Caused by lightning.	^[14]
County Road T	Kiowa	1,201	June 15	June 16	Human-caused.	^[15]
Prowers	Prowers	1,472	June 17	June 17	Human-caused.	^[16]
Streeter	Moffat	1,639	July 7	July 27	Human-caused.	^[17]
Sunday	Weld	2,000	July 19	July 19	Unknown cause.
Pine Gulch	Mesa, Garfield	139,007	July 31	September 22	Caused by lightning. It was the largest wildfire in Colorado history until it was surpassed by the Cameron Peak Fire seven weeks later. 6 structures destroyed	^[18] ^[19]

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2:

The majority of the fire is in Wyoming.

See also

• 2020 Western United States wildfire season
• Colorado State Forest Service
• List of Colorado wildfires
• Wildfires in the United States

External links

• Colorado wildfire information & resources, Colorado Tourism Office
• Hazard Mapping System: Fire and Smoke, Fort Collins Coloradoan

Notes and References

1. Web site: National Year-to-Date Report on Fires and Acres Burned. December 16, 2020.
   
   • This resource is annually updated, therefore its data doesn't represent this article's fires. For the archived PDF, see National Year-to-Date Report on Fires and Acres Burned by State and Agency for 2020.
2. News: Spells. Alta. Maxouris. Christina. October 24, 2020. An elderly couple refused to leave the home they loved and were killed in the East Troublesome Fire.. CNN. October 24, 2020.
3. News: Ingold . John . Five charts that show where 2020 ranks in Colorado wildfire history . June 27, 2021 . . October 20, 2020.
4. Web site: Lytle. Kevin. Cameron Peak Fire becomes largest wildfire in Colorado history, growing more than 20,000 acres in a day. 2020-10-15. USA TODAY. en-US.
5. Web site: Bent Fort Fire near Pueblo, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. October 24, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
6. Web site: Pcms Complex Fire near Rocky Ford, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
7. Web site: Villegreen Fire near La Junta, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
8. Web site: Cherry Canyon Fire near La Junta, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
9. Web site: Bent Canyon Fire near La Junta, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. October 24, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
10. Web site: Barela Fire near Pueblo, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
11. Web site: Sieber Fire near Glade Park, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
12. Web site: Deer Canyon Fire near Boise City, Oklahoma - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. October 24, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
13. Web site: Fawn Creek Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System. October 24, 2020. inciweb.nwcg.gov.
14. Web site: East Creek Fire Update June 15, 2020 - InciWeb the Incident Information System. October 24, 2020. inciweb.nwcg.gov.
15. Web site: County Rd T Fire near Lamar, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
16. Web site: Prowers Fire near Springfield, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
17. Web site: Streeter Fire near Hamilton, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. October 24, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
18. Web site: National Large Incident Year-to-Date Report. December 16, 2020.
    
    • This resource is annually updated, therefore its data doesn't represent this article's fires. For the archived PDF, see National Large Incident Year-to-Date Report for 2020.
19. Web site: Pine Gulch Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System. September 26, 2020. inciweb.nwcg.gov.
20. Web site: Grizzly Creek Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System. October 24, 2020. inciweb.nwcg.gov.
21. Web site: Cameron Peak Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System. October 24, 2020. inciweb.nwcg.gov.
22. News: Fleskes. Austin. October 27, 2020. More than 400 structures destroyed by Cameron Peak Fire. Loveland Report-Herald. October 30, 2020.
23. Web site: Williams Fork Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System. October 24, 2020. inciweb.nwcg.gov.
24. Web site: Deter-Winters Fire near Hoyt, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
25. Web site: Shamrock Fire near Hoyt, Colorado - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. September 27, 2020. FireWeatherAvalanche.org. en-US.
26. Web site: 2020-08-28. East Fork Fire held to 1,680 acres, now 60 percent contained. 2021-01-03. KOAA. en.
27. Web site: Middle Fork Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System. October 24, 2020. inciweb.nwcg.gov.