The 2020 Colorado wildfire season was a series of significant
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...
s that burned throughout the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
as part of the
2020 Western United States wildfire season
The Western United States experienced a series of major wildfires in 2020. Severe August thunderstorms ignited numerous wildfires across 2020 California wildfires, California, 2020 Oregon wildfires, Oregon, and 2020 Washington wildfires, Washi ...
. With a total of burned, and the 3 largest fires in state history, it is Colorado's largest wildfire season on record.
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.
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
The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
). 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.
See also
*
2020 Western United States wildfire season
The Western United States experienced a series of major wildfires in 2020. Severe August thunderstorms ignited numerous wildfires across 2020 California wildfires, California, 2020 Oregon wildfires, Oregon, and 2020 Washington wildfires, Washi ...
*
Colorado State Forest Service
*
List of Colorado wildfires
*
Wildfires in the United States
Wildfires can happen in many places in the United States, especially during droughts, but are most common in the Western United States and Florida.
They may be triggered naturally, most commonly by lightning, or by human activity like unexting ...
References
External links
Colorado wildfire information & resources Colorado Tourism Office
Hazard Mapping System: Fire and Smoke ''
Fort Collins Coloradoan''
{{2020 wildfires
2020 Colorado wildfires
Wildfires in Colorado
Colorado, 2020