This page pulls live incident data from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) every time you visit — no manual updates, no stale information. The answer below reflects fires currently reported in Colorado's wildland fire tracking system.
Connecting to the National Interagency Fire Center
Colorado's historically defined "fire season" — late spring through early fall — no longer captures the full picture. The state has recorded significant wildfires in every month of the year. Persistent drought, warmer winters, and beetle-kill across millions of acres of Front Range and mountain forest have created year-round fuel conditions that ignite readily in any dry, windy weather event.
The biggest fires in Colorado history — Marshall, Cameron Peak, East Troublesome, Hayman — all burned in different seasons. The Front Range foothills, Pikes Peak region, Boulder County, and the Western Slope face elevated risk regardless of the calendar date.
An active fire in Colorado doesn't necessarily mean your home is in immediate danger. But it does mean conditions across the state are dry and ignitable enough to support an active fire — and that a wind shift, a downed power line, or a careless spark near your property could escalate quickly.
The most important thing you can do is not wait for a fire to start near you. Defensible space, ember-resistant vents and a documented home ignition zone assessment take weeks to complete and are useless if you're trying to arrange them under an evacuation warning.
Get a Free Property AssessmentBased on historical NIFC incident data for Colorado. Individual years vary significantly with drought and wind events.
Interactive map showing every current Colorado wildfire incident with perimeter overlays from NIFC.
Open MapUSFS Wildfire Hazard Potential map showing your area's baseline long-term fire risk — independent of current fire activity.
Check RiskEnter your Colorado address and get an instant risk score based on USFS hazard data and your property's location.
Get My ScoreThis page checks NIFC's live Wildland Fire Incident System database every time it loads. The live status card at the top of this page shows the current count of active fires in Colorado along with each fire's name, size, location, and containment level. During peak fire season (May–October) it's common for one or more fires to be actively burning somewhere in the state.
The fire cards above list every incident currently logged in NIFC's WFIGS system for Colorado. Each card shows the fire name, acres burned, percent contained, and discovery date. This data is pulled live from the government system and reflects the most current reported status at the time you visit.
Sign up at coemergency.gov for Colorado's official emergency alert system. Most counties also operate their own notification systems — search "[your county] emergency alerts Colorado" for your local enrollment link. During a fire event, Larimer County uses CodeRED, Douglas County uses Everbridge, and El Paso County uses Alert El Paso. Sign up before fire season — you cannot enroll under an active evacuation order.
Colorado's peak wildfire risk runs from late April through October, with June, July and early August historically producing the most significant fire activity. However, Colorado has had major fires in every month of the year. Dry winters with low snowpack, prolonged drought, and high winds can push fire danger to critical levels even in January and February. Treat Colorado fire risk as year-round.
If you're under an evacuation order: leave immediately, don't wait. If you're under an evacuation warning: prepare to go, load vehicles, have your go-bag ready. If a fire is in your county but not threatening your immediate area: take the opportunity to clear loose combustibles from your deck and around your foundation, close all windows and doors, and activate any exterior sprinkler system you have. After the season: schedule a formal home ignition zone assessment and defensible space clearance while you can do it on your timeline, not under pressure.
Yes — substantially. Research from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety and NFPA studies consistently show that homes with cleared Zone 1 and Zone 2 defensible space and ember-resistant features survive wildfire events at significantly higher rates than unprepared structures. Defensible space slows fire's approach, reduces radiant heat, and gives firefighters a place to make a stand. It also qualifies your property for Colorado's 25% wildfire mitigation tax credit and insurance premium discounts with many carriers.
Whether there's an active fire today or not, the window to prepare your property is now. A free assessment walks your home ignition zone and gives you a written plan with costs, credits and the grants that apply to your property.
