The Missionary Ridge Fire was a defining blaze of Colorado’s devastating 2002 “summer of flames.”
Burning from June 9, 2002 northeast of Durango, the fire scorched 73,145 acres, destroyed 46 homes and other structures, and killed a firefighter struck by a falling burned-out tree.
Every major Colorado fire reinforces the same lesson: the homes most likely to survive are the ones prepared before a fire starts. It showed southwest Colorado’s acute drought-driven fire risk and the deadly hazard of standing burned timber. 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.
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 Hayman Fire (2002) burned 138,114 acres SW of Denver, Colorado's largest until 2020. Cause (arson), 600 structures, deaths and aftermath.
Read the overviewThe 416 Fire (2018) burned 54,129 acres north of Durango, sparked by a coal-fired tourist train. Cause, size, the $20M settlement and aftermath.
Read the overviewThe West Fork Complex (2013) burned ~109,000 acres in the San Juan Mountains. Among the largest Colorado fires, with minimal structure loss. Facts and context.
Read the overviewThe complete, searchable record of every major Colorado wildfire in history.
Open the full guide73,145 acres northeast of Durango.
One firefighter, killed by a falling tree.
