2023 Colorado wildfires

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2023 Colorado wildfires
The Spring Creek Fire on July 6
Statistics[1]
Total fires6,503
Total area16,190 acres (6,550 ha)
Impacts
DamageUnknown
Season
← 2022
2024 →

The 2023 Colorado wildfire season was a series of wildfires that have been burning throughout the U.S. state of Colorado.

Background

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Main article: List of Colorado wildfires

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).[2]

List of wildfires

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The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Ref
403 Gunnison 1,096 March 31 April 13 The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) did not document information about this wildfire. [4][5]
Gageby Creek Bent 4,600 April 19 April 28 The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) did not document information about this wildfire. [6][7][8]
Spring Creek Garfield 3,256 July 24 October 1 [9]
Lowline Gunnison 1,999 July 26 December 13 Lightning-caused. [10][11]
Bear Creek Hinsdale 1,093 July 28 2023 Caused by lightning about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Pagosa Springs. [12][13]
Little Mesa Delta 4,009 July 31 September 20 [14]
Quartz Ridge Archuleta 2,850 August 5 October 30 [15]
Dry Lake Archuleta 1,372 August 30 September 12 [16]
Hope Montezuma 1,290 September 21 October 7 Lightning-caused. Burned 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Dolores. [17]
Iron Moffat 7,392 September 29 October 5 Undetermined cause. Burned 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Craig. [18][19]
Trail Springs Archuleta 1,358 October 23 2023 Lighting-caused. Burned 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Pagosa Springs. Was 44% contained on November 24. [20]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "2023 RMACC Annual Report" (PDF). gaac.nifc.gov. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  2. ^ "Colorado Fire Season: In-Depth Guide". wfca.com. Western Fire Chiefs Association. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  3. ^ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  4. ^ "Colorado wildfire burning on 1,205 acres near Florissant; 100 homes evacuated". The Denver Post. March 31, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  5. ^ National Centers for Environmental Information (June–July 2023). "Gunnison County Wildfire Events Between 03/31/2023 and 04/13/2023". Storm Event Database. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  6. ^ "Helicopter crew assessing Gageby Creek fire burning on 1,680 acres in southeastern Colorado". The Denver Post. April 19, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  7. ^ National Centers for Environmental Information (July 2023). "Bent County, Colorado Wildfire Events Between 04/19/2023 and 04/30/2023". Storm Event Database. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  8. ^ "Governor Polis Takes Action in Response to Gageby Creek Fire in Bent County". cdn.colorado.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  9. ^ "Spring Creek Fire". InciWeb: Incident Information System. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "Lowline Fire". InciWeb: Incident Information System. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  11. ^ "Lowline Fire 100% Contained". fs.usda.gov. United States Forest Service. December 13, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  12. ^ "Bear Creek Fire". InciWeb: Incident Information System. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  13. ^ "Cosjf Bear Creek Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  14. ^ "Little Mesa Fire". InciWeb: Incident Information System. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  15. ^ "Quartz Ridge Fire". InciWeb: Incident Information System. Retrieved September 26, 2023.[dead link]
  16. ^ "Dry Lake Fire". InciWeb: Incident Information System. Retrieved September 26, 2023.[dead link]
  17. ^ "Hope - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.coloradoan.com. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  18. ^ "Iron Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  19. ^ Grewe, Lindsey (October 3, 2023). "'Iron Fire' burning in northwest Colorado now 50 percent contained". KKTV. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  20. ^ "Trail Springs - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.coloradoan.com. Retrieved August 26, 2025.