 | This article needs to be updated.(October 2012) |
| 2012 Colorado wildfires | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Statistics [1] | |
| Total fires | 1,498 |
| Total area | 246,445 acres (997.33 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 6 |
| Season | |
2013 → | |
The 2012 Colorado wildfires were an unusually devastating series of Colorado wildfires, including several separate fires that occurred throughout June, July, and August 2012. At least 34,500 residents were evacuated in June. [2] [3]
Conditions were favorable for the wildfires. [4]
In 2011-2012, Colorado had an extremely dry winter, with only 13% of the average precipitation. [5] The summer also saw temperatures near and in excess of 100 °F (38 °C) across the state, and most of the state had relative humidity in the teens and single digits. [5] Dry thunderstorms and arsonists were also possible contributing factors, though the sources of some of the fires have not yet been determined.
Started May 13, this 22,400-acre fire was located in the San Juan National Forest north of the Piedra River near Pagosa Springs, Colorado. [6] [7]
Starting June 21, 2012, the Treasure fire (also called New Treasure fire), a forest fire about five miles north of Leadville in Lake County, burned 420 acres on US Forest Service land, but did not threaten any homes or structures. [8] As of July 2, 2012, the Treasure fire was reported to be 100 percent contained. [9] The fire's cause remains unknown.
The Weber fire has burned over 10,000 acres just southeast of Mancos in Montezuma County. It started on Friday, June 22, 2012. The fire resulted in evacuation orders for 140 households and pre-evacuation orders for 390 more. All evacuation orders were lifted Monday morning, July 2. As of that date, the Weber fire is reported to be 75 percent contained. Officials are targeting Thursday, July 5 for full containment. [10] The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Waldo Canyon Fire is a forest fire that started 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Colorado Springs on June 23, 2012, on July 8, 2012 the fire is 100 percent contained on 15,364 acres (24 sq mi; 62 km2) of US Forest Service land. The fire has caused the evacuation of over 32,000 residents of Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Woodland Park, several small mountain communities along Highway 24, and partial evacuation of the United States Air Force Academy. On the afternoon of June 26, winds increased following a dry thunderstorm that passed west of the fire, within two hours the fire which had been held by firefighters near Rampart Road jumped northeast into Queens Canyon as the fire crested out of Queens Canyon gusts as high as 70 mph (110 km/h) pushed the fire down the front range particularly into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. After 12 hours of fighting the blaze in western Colorado Springs the fire had claimed over 350 homes in Colorado Springs, thus making it the most destructive fire in Colorado state history by the number of houses burned.
The Flagstaff fire (also called Bison fire) was forest fire located a few miles southwest of the city of Boulder in Boulder County. The fire was started by a lightning strike at 1:15 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time, on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, near the intersection of Flagstaff Road and Bison Drive, about three miles south of Flagstaff Mountain. Evacuation was ordered for 26 households in the Pine Needle Notch mountain subdivision. A pre-evacuation order was issued Tuesday evening, June 26, for 2400 households in southwestern Boulder proper. [11] The pre-evacuation order was lifted late the next day, Wednesday, June 27.
The city of Boulder closed down a large part of the City of Boulder Mountain Parks to public use, specifically trails south of Chautauqua. On July 2, the city reopened the Mesa Trail and all trails east of the Mesa Trail to public use, although trails west of the Mesa Trail remained closed.
As of July 2, 2012, the Flagstaff fire was 90% contained and had burned about 300 acres. [12]
In March, the 4,140 acre fire took the lives of three residents and destroyed 23 homes, one mile east of Foxton, Colorado. The Lower North Fork fire started on Monday, March 26. Preliminary reports indicate that the fire was caused by embers from a prescribed fire.
The High Park fire, a forest fire in the mountains west of Fort Collins in Larimer County, was caused by a lightning strike and was first detected on the morning of June 9, 2012. A 62-year-old woman was killed in the fire. [13] [14]
This fire burned over 87,250 acres (136 sq mi; 353 km2), making it the second-largest fire in recorded Colorado history by area burned, after the Hayman Fire of 2002. [15] It destroyed at least 259 homes, surpassing the number consumed by the Fourmile Canyon fire of 2010. The High Park fire was the most destructive fire in Colorado history, in terms of the number of houses burned, until it was surpassed by the Waldo Canyon fire. [15] [16] [17]
The High Park fire was declared 100 percent contained on June 30, 2012, and all related evacuation orders were ended. [18]
Reported June 17, 2012, the Springer fire, in Eleven Mile Canyon south of Lake George, burned over 1,100 acres. Over 500 firefighters fought the fire. [19] As the fire was brought under control on Sunday, June 24, 2012, resources were pulled from it to fight the Waldo Canyon fire.
On June 23, 2012, the Woodland Heights fire in Estes Park, Colorado was started by a power line rubbing against a pine tree. The fire spread to 27.3 acres, burning 22 houses and two outbuildings in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The fire was contained over the weekend, and residents were allowed to return to the area the following Monday afternoon, June 25, 2012. [20] [21] Estes Valley Fire Protection District's proactive response, along with the extra resources afforded by a cost-sharing agreement with Larimer County, were credited with preventing the fire spreading into a major disaster on the scale of some of the year's other wildfires in the state, EVFPD board president Sue Doylen calling it one of the wildfire season's success stories. [22]
Starting Monday, June 25, 2012, this grassland fire, in and near the small towns of Last Chance and Woodrow in Washington County, burned over 45,000 acres, making it the second largest wildfire by acreage in Colorado in the year 2012 to date, after the High Park fire. Although this fire burned a very sparsely populated area, nonetheless at least 11 structures were lost, including four houses. The fire was declared fully contained on Tuesday evening, June 26. Cause of this fire is thought to be sparks thrown up from an automobile wheel following a tire blowout. [23]
The Ironing Board fire was a short-lived forest fire, started by a lightning strike on Thursday, June 28, 2012 in the City of Boulder Mountain Parks adjacent to the Third Flatiron. The fire was extinguished the next day. Although small, this fire was even closer to the city of Boulder than the Flagstaff fire. The sighting of this forest fire on the heels of the Flagstaff fire provoked numerous reports from the public. [24]
The Pine Ridge fire was a large wildfire caused by a lightning strike that was detected in the rugged Little Bookcliffs area at 1:57 pm, MDT, on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 ten miles northeast of Grand Junction in Mesa County, Colorado. The fire started at a generally small size of twenty acres and rapidly grew uncontrollably due to the low humidity and high temperatures. As of Wednesday, July 4, 2012, officials say that the fire had burned an estimated 13,920 acres and have contained 100% of the fire. This was the first major fire of 2012 on the Western Slope. The cost to fight the fire was at an estimated $2.4 million. [25]
On Tuesday, October 23, a wildfire was reported around 1:30 pm about a quarter mile south of Wetmore, Colorado. Winds blowing as fast as 50 miles per hour fanned the flames which grew to 970 acres within hours. Due to dangerous gusts, all firefighting aircraft were grounded. Greenwood and other nearby communities were evacuated, in which a total of 15 structures were destroyed. Over the next few days, the high winds subsided, allowing firefighters to achieve full containment on the fire by October 29. The blaze burned just under 2,000 acres and is believed to be human-caused. [26]
An illegal campfire sparked the Fern Lake fire in Rocky Mountain National Park on Tuesday, October 9. Due to steep and inaccessible terrain, firefighters could only monitor the fire. It smoldered throughout October and November; slowly reaching over 1,500 acres and 40% containment. On December 1, wind speeds increased to as high as 75 miles per hour and pushed the fire east three miles into Moraine Park, where an unoccupied cabin was destroyed and over 580 homes were evacuated. A snowstorm later that month halted the fire at 3,500 acres, but smoke was still visible until January 7, 2013. [27]
The Hayman Fire was a forest fire started on June 8, 2002, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado and 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Denver, Colorado and was, for 18 years, the largest wildfire in the state's recorded history at over 138,114 acres.
Boulder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado of the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 330,758. The most populous municipality in the county and the county seat is Boulder.
The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, United States, west of Colorado Springs including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres (4,478 km2) within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and El Paso counties. The major rivers draining the forest are the South Platte and Fountain Creek. Rampart Reservoir is a large artificial body of water located within the forest.
Fourmile Canyon or Four Mile Canyon is a mountainous canyon in western Boulder County, Colorado that channels a stream known as Fourmile Creek or Four Mile Creek .). The stream rises at 40.048°N 105.550°W on the southern slope of Niwot Mountain, before flowing east and south through the unincorporated communities of Sunset, Wallstreet, Salina and Crisman to the confluence with Boulder Creek at 40.015°N 105.324°W in Boulder Canyon, four miles west of the historic location of the Boulder Railroad Depot.
Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon on its north end via a series of hairpin turns before traversing the bottom of the canyon for about 13 miles (21 km) until the highway enters the town of Sedona.
Eldorado Canyon State Park is part of the Colorado State Park system. It was established in 1978 and is located in Boulder County near the city of Boulder. The park consists of two areas, the Inner Canyon and Crescent Meadows. The park encompasses 885 acres (3.6 km2) with a variety of recreation opportunities available. Eldorado Canyon is home to one of the world's most accessible and comprehensive rock climbing areas. This state park is open during daylight hours only, visitors are expected to leave before dusk.
The Schultz Fire was a wildfire which burned over 15,000 acres (6,100 ha), including Schultz Peak in Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, in June 2010. The suspected cause is a campfire left unattended, and the United States Forest Service is offering a $2500 reward for information.
The Las Conchas Fire was a large wildfire in the state of New Mexico, in the United States, in 2011. The fire started in Santa Fe National Forest and burned more than 150,000 acres, threatening Los Alamos National Laboratory and the town of Los Alamos. After five days of burning, it became the largest wildfire in New Mexico state history at the time. It was surpassed in 2012 by the much larger Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire and in 2022 by the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire and the Black Fire making the Las Conchas Fire the fourth-largest fire in New Mexico's recorded history.
The High Park fire was a wildfire in the mountains west of Fort Collins in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. It was caused by a lightning strike and was first detected on the morning of June 9, 2012. It was declared 100 percent contained on June 30, 2012, and all associated evacuation orders were lifted. Disambiguation. In 2022 there was another fire called "High Park Fire." That fire started on 05/12/2022 6 miles west of Cripple Creek Colorado. The size at 89% containment was 1,572 acres. Since wildland fire names are typically assigned by personnel on the fire and often based on local knowledge, it is not unusual to have more than one fire with the same name.
The Waldo Canyon fire was a forest fire that started approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado on June 23, 2012, and was declared 100 percent contained on July 10, 2012, after no smoke plumes were visible on a small portion of the containment line on Blodgett Peak. The fire was active in the Pike National Forest and adjoining areas, covering a total of 18,247 acres. The fire had caused the evacuation of over 32,000 residents of Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Woodland Park, several small mountain communities along the southwestern side of U.S. Highway 24, and partial evacuation of the United States Air Force Academy. There were 346 homes destroyed by the fire. U.S. Highway 24, a major east–west road, was closed in both directions. The Waldo Canyon Fire resulted in insurance claims totaling more than US $453.7 million. It was the most destructive fire in Colorado state history, as measured by the number of homes destroyed, until the Black Forest Fire surpassed it almost a year later when it consumed 486 homes and damaged 28 others.
Bear Peak is a mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 8,459-foot (2,578 m) peak is located in Boulder Mountain Park, 5.2 miles (8.3 km) south-southwest of downtown Boulder in Boulder County, Colorado, United States.
The Black Forest Fire was a forest fire that began near Highway 83 and Shoup Road in Black Forest, Colorado around 1:00 p.m. on June 11, 2013. As of June 20, 2013, the fire was 100 percent contained, 14,280 acres were burned, at least 509 homes were said to be destroyed, and two people had died. This was the most destructive fire in the state's history at the time, surpassing the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire which also began near Colorado Springs. It was surpassed in 2021, when the Marshall Fire destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County, in Superior and Louisville.
In the summer of 2013, there were several major wildfires in Colorado in the United States. During June and July, record high temperatures and dry conditions fueled the fires all across the state. By July 24, 570 structures had been destroyed and 2 people died. Below is a list of the major fires of the year.
The Pier Fire was a wildfire that burned near Springville and in the Sequoia National Forest, in California in the United States. The fire was reported on August 29, 2017. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but is believed to be human-caused. The fire was completely extinguished on November 29, after it had burned 36,556 acres (148 km2). The fire threatened old growth sequoia trees, the Tule River Indian Reservation, and many small communities in the area.
The 416 and Burro Fire Complex were two wildfires that burned in the southwestern portion of Colorado in the United States in 2018. The fires burned predominantly within San Juan National Forest, 13 miles north of Durango and 14 miles south of Rico. The 416 Fire started on June 1, 2018, and the Burro Fire followed on June 8. Federal officials allege that embers emitted from a coal-burning steam locomotive used by the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad started the blaze, and have filed a lawsuit against the railroad seeking recoupment of $25 million in firefighting costs, penalties and legal expenses. The fires burned a combined total of over 57,000 acres (23,067 ha) and have cost more than $43 million to contain. On March 31, 2022, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad reached settlements in two lawsuits stemming from its role in starting the 416 fire: one settlement with federal authorities in which the railroad would pay $20 million to the federal government and institute a fire mitigation program for its operations. In the second settlement, the railroad agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to home and business owners impacted by the fire and subsequent floods during the summer monsoon season that followed in the wake of the 416 fire.
The Cameron Peak fire was a wildfire that started near Chambers Lake, Colorado, 25 miles (40 km) east of Walden and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Red Feather Lakes near Cameron Pass on August 13, 2020, and was declared 100% contained on December 2, 2020. The fire burnt 208,663 acres through the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Larimer and Jackson Counties and Rocky Mountain National Park. At its peak, the fire forced the evacuation of over 6,000 residents in Estes Park, Chambers Lake, Rustic, Glacier View Meadows, Red Feather Lakes, Masonville, Glen Haven, Spring Canyon, various small communities along Highway 14, Stove Prairie Landing Road, as well as the Colorado State University Mountain Campus and had over 1,000 personnel fighting the fire. 469 structures were destroyed by the fire, including 220 outbuildings and 42 primary residences. The fire became the largest wildfire in Colorado history, surpassing the Pine Gulch Fire, which had set the same mark just seven weeks prior.
The Marshall Fire was a destructive wildfire and urban conflagration that started on December 30, 2021, shortly after 11:00 a.m. MST, as a grass fire in Boulder County, Colorado. The fire killed two people and destroyed more than 991 structures to become the most destructive fire in Colorado history. It began in two places and was neither caused by criminal negligence nor intentional. As a result of the fire 37,500 people were evacuated.
The 2020 East Troublesome Fire was a massive and destructive wildfire, and the second-largest in the history of the U.S. state of Colorado. Named for the East Fork of Troublesome Creek, close to the fire's point of origin in the Arapaho National Forest, the fire burned 193,812 acres (78,433 ha) between its ignition on October 14, 2020, and its containment on November 30. The fire destroyed 555 structures and killed two people, devastating portions of the community of Grand Lake. The majority of the fire's burned acreage and structural losses accrued on October 21, when the fire burned more than 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) in a single day.
Alexander Mountain is a mountain in Larimer County, Colorado named for the pioneers John and Grant Alexander. It is within a mid-elevation ponderosa pine forest in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest with mountain mahogany, skunkbrush, and gambel oak forbs. North of US Highway 34 between Loveland and Estes Park, west of Green Ridge, and east of Cedar Creek, it is recognizable by its pyramidal shaped south face. Its habitat is mesic and dry-mesic and has cliff faces which are home to rattlesnakes. Now home to the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, its cultural significance is the final stand in a bear hunt in the memoirs of Gerry Spence. On July 29, 2024, an unknown ignition of a hot dry remote area on the north face of the Alexander Mountain caused the Alexander Mountain Fire, receiving national attention for a rapidly accelerating wildfire causing a wide evacuation area under volatile circumstances and risking losses to communication and energy infrastructure as well as ranching and tourism communities along the Big Thompson River near Drake, Colorado.