The Cold Springs Fire shows how a single abandoned campfire can upend a mountain community.
Igniting July 9, 2016 near Nederland from a campfire left by campers, the fire burned 606 acres, destroyed eight homes and forced about 2,000 people to evacuate. The campers faced criminal charges.
Every major Colorado fire reinforces the same lesson: the homes most likely to survive are the ones prepared before a fire starts. It is a clear case for fire-ban enforcement and for keeping the area immediately around homes defensible. Creating defensible space, hardening the home against embers, and documenting the work for insurance and grant funding are the highest-leverage steps a homeowner can take.
Homeowners near Nederland and the surrounding high country can get a free assessment from our Boulder County and Nederland teams.
Not sure where your property stands? Check your wildfire risk score in under a minute, watch for new starts on the active fires map, and set up emergency fire alerts so you never miss an evacuation order.
The CalWood Fire (2020) burned 10,113 acres near Jamestown in Boulder County and destroyed 26 homes. Cause, size and aftermath.
Read the overviewThe NCAR Fire (2022) burned 190 acres near Boulder but destroyed no homes, a widely cited wildfire mitigation success. What worked and why.
Read the overviewThe Fourmile Canyon Fire (2010) burned 6,181 acres west of Boulder and destroyed 169 homes, most destructive in CO at the time. Cause and aftermath.
Read the overviewThe complete, searchable record of every major Colorado wildfire in history.
Open the full guideAn abandoned campfire left by campers near Nederland.
606 acres; eight homes were destroyed and about 2,000 people evacuated.
