2012 Colorado forest fires
| 2012 Colorado wildfires | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 1,498 |
| Total area | 246,445 acres (997.33 km2) |
| Fatalities | 6 |
| Season | |
|
← 2011
2013 →
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The 2012 Colorado wildfires were an unusually devastating series of Colorado wildfires, including several separate fires that occurred throughout June, July, and August 2012. At least 34,500 residents were evacuated in June.
Conditions were favorable for the wildfires.
In 2011-2012, Colorado had an extremely dry winter, with only 13% of the average precipitation. The summer also saw temperatures near and in excess of 100 °F across the state, and most of the state had relative humidity in the teens and single digits. Dry thunderstorms and arsonists were also possible contributing factors, though the sources of some of the fires have not yet been determined.
Burning since May 13, this 22,400-acre fire is located in the San Juan National Forest north of the Piedra River near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Starting June 21, 2012, the Treasure fire (also called New Treasure fire), a forest fire about five miles north of Leadville in Lake County, burned 420 acres on US Forest Service land, but did not threaten any homes or structures. As of July 2, 2012, the Treasure fire was reported to be 100 percent contained. The fire's cause remains unknown.
The Weber fire has burned over 10,000 acres just southeast of Mancos in Montezuma County. It started on Friday, June 22, 2012. The fire resulted in evacuation orders for 140 households and pre-evacuation orders for 390 more. All evacuation orders were lifted Monday morning, July 2. As of that date, the Weber fire is reported to be 75 percent contained. Officials are targeting Thursday, July 5 for full containment. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Waldo Canyon fire is a forest fire that started 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Colorado Springs on June 23, 2012, on July 8, 2012 the fire is 100 percent contained on 15,364 acres (24 sq mi; 62 km2) of US Forest Service land. The fire has caused the evacuation of over 32,000 residents of Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Woodland Park, several small mountain communities along Highway 24, and partial evacuation of the United States Air Force Academy. On the afternoon of June 26, winds increased following a dry thunderstorm that passed west of the fire, within two hours the fire which had been held by firefighters near Rampart Road jumped northeast into Queens Canyon as the fire crested out of Queens Canyon gusts as high as 70 mph pushed the fire down the front range particularly into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. After 12 hours of fighting the blaze in western Colorado Springs the fire had claimed over 350 homes in Colorado Springs, thus making it the most destructive fire in Colorado state history by the number of houses burned.
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