Smoke further south on Saturday

 It may be the weekend, but smoke isn't taking a day off.

The Lee Fire and Elk Fire continue to burn in Rio Blanco County. Smoke from these fires has moved south today, and Particulate Matter concentrations in central Colorado are higher. Cities and towns along the I-70 corridor, including Rifle, Eagle, and Vail, woke up to hazy, smoky skies this morning. Smoke is expected to stay south of Rio Blanco County today. In central Colorado, an Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect until 9 am Sunday morning. 

The Stoner Mesa Fire in Dolores County is also still burning today. Smoke from this fire has moved further east today, and a larger area is under the Air Quality Health Advisory.

If you are in a location under a Health Advisory, it's a good idea to take steps to protect your health today. Stay up-to-date with the latest air quality conditions on CDPHE's monitor map or Purple Air.

Also, a Red Flag Warning remains in effect for a large area of western Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. CDPHE is monitoring the situation and will provide updates as needed.

Smoke continues in Colorado

Smoke is expected to continue today. Air Quality Health Advisories remain in effect for many counties in Colorado.

In northwestern Colorado, large wildfires are burning in Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties. Smoke from the Twelve Fire, Lee Fire, and Elk Fire is impacting much of northern Colorado.

In Dolores County, the Stoner Mesa Fire continues to burn. An Air Quality Health Advisory remains in effect for western Dolores County.

If you are sensitive to wildfire smoke, it is a good idea to take steps to protect your health. Visit CDPHE's monitoring website or Purple Air for real-time air quality data near you.

Additionally, a Red Flag Warning is in effect for several counties in western Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. Any fires that spark could grow quickly today. We are monitoring the situation and will provide an update if necessary.

Ready for some good news? On the Front Range, air quality has improved from yesterday. On Thursday, there was an Action Day for Multiple Pollutants. Ozone and Particulate matter have improved slightly, and Good to Moderate air quality is expected for the Northern Front Range today.

Thursday smoke update

Smoke will continue for much of Colorado today.

In Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties, the Twelve Fire, Lee Fire, and Elk Fire are burning.

Smoke from these fires has moved east and is impacting a large area of northern Colorado. An Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect for northern Colorado. As of this morning, four counties were removed from the advisory area (Garfield, Eagle, Gilpin, and Clear Creek.) Smoke will remain further north today.

Smoke is visible from the Meeker Airport (facing southwest.) Image courtesy of FAA Weathercams.

On the Front Range, an Action Day for Multiple Pollutants is in effect. Both Particulate Matter (from smoke) and ozone are expected to be high today in Fort Collins, Greeley, Boulder, and the Denver Metro area.

In Dolores County, the Stoner Mesa Fire is still burning. An Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect for eastern Dolores County today.

Additionally, a Red Flag Warning is in effect for several counties in western Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. Any fires that spark could grow quickly today. We are monitoring the situation, and will provide an update if necessary.

If you are sensitive to wildfire smoke, it is a good idea to take steps to protect your health. Visit CDPHE's monitoring website or Purple Air for real-time air quality data near you.

Smoke further east on Wednesday

On Wednesday, more Coloradans will be breathing in smoke. Let's break it down from north to south.

The Lee Fire and the Elk Fire are burning in Rio Blanco County. Smoke from these fires has moved east, reaching as far as the Northern Front Range. Moderate to heavy smoke is expected from Rio Blanco County and eastward to Weld County. An Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect. 

Satellite image of Colorado shows areas of smoke (gray, circled in red.) Image courtesy of RAMMB CIRA Slider.

The Turner Gulch Fire is still producing smoke, but not enough to trigger an advisory. Purple Air sensors in southern Mesa County are showing moderate levels of smoke. We will issue an advisory if conditions worsen. 

The Stoner Mesa Fire in Dolores County is producing moderate to heavy smoke. An Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect for eastern Dolores County today. On Wednesday, some smoke has moved south into La Plata County, particularly Durango. However, smoke isn't heavy enough to trigger an advisory. If smoke becomes heavier, we will expand the advisory area to include neighboring counties.

In addition to all of this activity within Colorado, several fires are still burning in other upwind states, and the transport of smoke into Colorado may also contribute to the ambient smoky conditions across large areas of Colorado.

If you are sensitive to smoke, it's a good idea to take steps to protect your health. Visit CDPHE's monitoring website or PurpleAir for the most up-to-date information on air quality conditions.

Continued smoke on tap for Tuesday

 The smoke continues today in western Colorado. Air Quailty Health Advisories are in effect for several counties on the Western Slope. We'll discuss the details in two parts.

First, fires burning in Rio Blanco and Garfield Counties are causing air quality impacts for a large portion of western Colorado. The heaviest impacts will be in locations near the Grease/ Lee Fires, Elk Fire, and Coulter Creek Fire. 

 Smoke is expected to move further east today, so this advisory was updated to include Grand and Jackson Counties.

Webcam view from the Meeker Airport shows heavy smoke on the horizon. Photo courtesy of FAA Weathercams.

Second, the Sharp Canyon Fire burning in western Dolores County is expected to cause periods of moderate to heavy smoke today. The heaviest smoke is expected in locations close to the fire. 

A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for a large area of western Colorado. Hot, dry, and windy weather means that conditions are good for fire growth. Any new or existing fires could grow quickly today. We are monitoring the situation and will provide updates as necessary.

If you are sensitive to wildfire smoke, it's a good idea to take steps to protect your health. 

Wildfires in western Colorado could intensify today

Smoke from several wildfires is impacting western Colorado today.

The Grease Fire, Lee Fire, Elk Fire, and Coulter Creek Fire are burning in northwest Colorado. An Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke is in effect until 9 am Tuesday for eastern parts of Rio Blanco and Garfield Counties, along with the entirety of Routt and Eagle Counties. Areas close to the fires will obviously see periods of moderate to heavy smoke today, including the Meeker area.  

Webcam view from Eagle County Airport facing southwest. Smoke is visible on the horizon. Image courtesy of FAA Weathercams.

Additionally, dry and windy weather is on tap for today. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for a large portion of western Colorado, as well as parts of Wyoming and Utah. This means that any new or existing fires could grow quickly today and produce large amounts of smoke. We will be closely watching areas well downwind of the fires today, including Steamboat Springs which could see an increase in smoke later this afternoon and into this evening. 

If you are particularly sensitive to smoke, it's a good idea to take steps to protect your health. 

New fires spark in western Colorado, fires in other states still active

Several wildfires are creating air quality concerns in areas of western Colorado. The Grease fire and the Elk fire are located in central and eastern Rio Blanco County, and the Coulter Creek fire is located in southeastern Garfield County. These fires will produce areas of moderate to heavy smoke on Sunday evening and Monday morning, particularly in areas of low lying terrain in the immediate vicinity of the fires.

Map of fire locations in western Colorado on August 3rd, 2025. Map courtesy of fire.airnow.gov.

An Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke has been issued for areas near these fires through at least Monday morning. Folks in these areas should take steps to avoid exposure to smoke and limit health impacts. 

Fires in other states continue to produce smoke, resulting in light to moderate concentrations of fine particulates in other areas of the State. While conditions across the western slope and 4-Corners regions of Colorado do not warrant advisories at this time, anyone in these areas should also remain aware of air quality conditions due to the presence of smoke.

We will continue to provide updated information on smoke impacts, including additional advisories if necessary.

Wildfires still burning, moderate smoke impacts expected through the weekend

Many areas of Colorado have noticed the presence of wildfire smoke this week, with hazy skies and Moderate particulate concentrations. Unfortunately, this is expected to continue through the coming weekend. Fire activity in Colorado has remained moderate, with the primary influence being from the Turner Gulch Fire in southern Mesa County. However the Monroe Canyon fire in central Utah and the Dragon Bravo fire in Arizona have continued to display active fire behavior, and are expected to remain this way during the coming weekend. 

Map from fire.airnow.gov shows the location of several fires in the western U.S., with smoke plumes extending over Colorado. Air quality monitors show Moderate (yellow) smoke impacts.

Upper level transport winds are expected to shift, becoming more west-to-east in orientation throughout the weekend. This will bring smoke from fires more directly into Colorado, likely continuing the Moderate impacts that have been seen this week.

Resulting impacts will depend on just how active the fires are, the direction and altitude of smoke transport, and how deep atmospheric mixing is in areas where the plumes traverse. As always we will keep a close watch on air quality conditions and will send messaging and alerts (if needed) to keep you informed. We also encourage folks to take note of conditions in your location, and take the steps most appropriate for your situation to minimize effects of smoke exposure.

Smoke set to increase across Colorado over the next 24 hours

 If you are sneezing a bit more than normal today or have a scratchy throat, wildfire smoke is likely to blame.  We are not seeing overly heavy smoke anywhere across the state Thursday morning, but there are plenty of areas measuring moderate levels of particle pollution.

EPA's Fire and Smoke Map shows moderate (yellow) levels of fine particulates across large parts of Colorado Thursday morning

Unfortunately it appears that smoke levels will increase over the next 24 hours.  The main culprits of the current particle pollution are the Dragon Bravo fire in northern Arizona and the Monroe Canyon fire in central Utah.  Combined, these two fires have consumed nearly 150,000 acres under record-breaking dry conditions. 

Starting today, the transport winds at these two fires will begin to shift to a more westerly direction.  The consequence of this will be an increase in smoke moving towards Colorado Thursday afternoon and into Friday.  At this point, it is difficult to know exactly where the heaviest smoke in Colorado will be on Friday. However it does appear that the entire state will be impacted to some degree, so please prepare to take extra actions to protect your health.  We will certainly keep you updated on the very latest developments, including issuing air quality health advisories if needed.

Smoke versus storms

There were definitely some concerns for heavy smoke across northwestern Colorado yesterday.  Fortunately, fine particulate concentrations across the region have remained at moderate levels.  Consequently, the Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke will be allowed to expire at 9am Wednesday.

No doubt there is still plenty of smoke high up in the atmosphere over western Colorado.  However, we also anticipate a surge in moisture across the region today. There should be enough turbulence in the atmosphere along with shower and thunderstorm activity to prevent smoke from getting too heavy.  So if you reside in Grand Junction, Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Telluride, or nearly anywhere else west of the Continental Divide, expect moderate levels of "nuisance" smoke today.  If you are especially sensitive to wood smoke, please continue to take action to protect your health.

Smoke aloft in the atmosphere over the Four Corners region on Wednesday morning.  Image courtesy of Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere

Smoke expected to increase in northwestern Colorado on Tuesday

Smoke from wildfires in other states has reached the northwestern corner of Colorado on Tuesday morning. Only moderate impacts have been seen as of this writing (Tuesday morning), however as daytime mixing of the atmosphere increases, we expect smoke that is aloft to be drawn downward and increase surface concentrations within the area covered in the Air Quality Health Advisory; issued for Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties.

A map from fire.airnow.gov shows the location of the smoke plume (shaded in grey) over air quality monitors in Colorado and Utah. Monitors in Colorado show Moderate air quality while the monitors in Utah show values in the Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups AQI range. Map is from approximately 10:30 am MDT, July 29, 2025.

Folks in the northwest corner of Colorado are encouraged to remain alert to changing conditions and increasing smoke concentrations on Tuesday and into Wednesday. Take appropriate steps to avoid exposure and protect your health in this area.

Smoke returns to the Front Range

 A hazy, smoky sky over the Front Range region Tuesday morning. The vast majority of this smoke originated out-of-state in Utah and Arizona.  Fortunately for folks in Denver, Boulder, Ft. Collins, Greeley, and elsewhere along the Front Range, fine particulates are at moderate levels and shouldn't increase much more from where they currently are.  In fact, as the atmosphere heats up we should see smoke levels decrease late Tuesday morning and continuing through Tuesday afternoon.  In the meantime, you may want take it a little easier than usual Tuesday morning until the air quality improves.

Denver webcam at 6:34 am on Tuesday

 

Mesa County smoke advisory expires this morning

 As containment increases and available fuels to burn decrease on the Turner Gulch fire, air quality continues to improve across the region.  Therefore, the Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke will be allowed to expire at 9am this morning.  That being said, occasional periods of moderate to heavy smoke are expected to continue in places like Gateway and along Highway 141 surrounding the fire.  This heavier smoke should be brief and mainly occur during the early morning hours.  So if you do want to spend some time outdoors in this part of Colorado over the next few days, perhaps wait until after 10am and the smoke should clear out nicely.

The story is similar for the Rim Road and Elkhorn fires in La Plata County.  Outdoor activities are better suited during the late mornings and afternoons, if possible.  The heavier morning smoke in La Plata County will mainly be confined to locations along Highway 550 between Durango and Hermosa, and on County Road 318 in the vicinity of Los Pinos Fire Station 3.

Smoke advisory in Mesa County shrinks on Sunday

 Some good news in the Grand Valley this morning as air quality has improved quite a bit.  However, we are still seeing some pretty heavy smoke in close vicinity to the Turner Gulch fire. With a Red Flag Warning in effect today for Mesa County, the Turner Gulch fire will likely remain active in spots and bring another round of moderate to heavy smoke tonight and tomorrow for Gateway and other locations surrounding the fire on Highway 141.  With less of a threat for heavier smoke in other parts of Mesa County, the Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke will be in effect for only southern parts of Mesa County through Monday morning.

Meanwhile, there were two new wildfire starts yesterday in La Plata County.  The Elkhorn fire is located in northern La Plata County just east of Highway 550 about 15 miles north of Durango.  This fire is producing some moderate to locally heavy smoke around Hermosa and southward into the Durango area.  Fortunately the smoke should decrease by late Sunday morning as the atmosphere heats up.  Meanwhile, the Rim Road fire is located in southern La Plata County on the Southern Ute Reservation.  County Road 318 to the north of the fire and in the vicinity of Los Pinos Fire Station 3 could be impacted with smoke Sunday morning.  But much like the Elkhorn fire, smoke should decrease throughout the area with the heating of the day.

The good news with these two wildfires in La Plata County is that it should not be quite as windy as yesterday which decreases the threat for explosive fire development.  However, we will continue to monitor both of these fires for smoke production on Sunday and will issue an advisory if needed.

GeoColor satellite image of La Plata County wildfires on Saturday afternoon.  Image courtesy of Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere.

Getting hotter and drier

 Western Colorado will continue to see periods of hazy, smoky weather for the next few days. Currently, two fires are producing most of the smoke.  One of those is in Colorado, the other in Arizona. The Turner Gulch fire in Mesa County is not as active as it was last week due to recently favorable weather and some great work done by fire crews. However, there are still parts of the fire that are inaccessible for firefighters and could produce smoke as the weather continues to heat up and dry out.

Meanwhile the Dragon Bravo fire on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona continues be very active and produce enormous amounts of smoke. That smoke is occasionally impacting Colorado, mostly western portions of the state.  The highest risk for more of this transported smoke over the next few days will be from west-central Colorado (around Grand Junction), northward into far northwestern Colorado.

Friday morning satellite image shows widespread smoke across northern Arizona, eastern Utah, and western Colorado.  Image courtesy of Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere.

All that being said, the highest risk for heavy smoke over the next 24 hours will be in Mesa County.  This is especially true for locations in close vicinity to the Turner Gulch fire.  Please take action to protect your health in Gateway, and also for those that reside along Highway 141 to the east of Gateway.  For other locations in Mesa County, including the Grand Valley, smoke concentrations are at moderate levels Friday morning.  However, smoke could increase beginning Friday afternoon depending on wildfire activity both locally and out-of-state.  The air quality health advisory for wildfire smoke has been extended for Mesa County through Saturday morning.  With the slight decrease in smoke concentrations in Grand Junction, taking advantage of the better air quality Friday morning might be a good idea.  But do keep in mind that fine particulate levels have been elevated for several days now and do have a cumulative impact on your health, so you may still want to limit heavy exertion for the time being.

Ongoing smoke impacts in Mesa County, western Colorado

 An increase in fire behavior and smoke production on Wednesday, mainly from from the Turner Gulch Fire in Mesa County and the Dragon Bravo Fire near the Grand Canyon in Arizona, has once again degraded air quality in areas of western and southwestern Colorado. The greatest impacts were seen in areas where the influence of both of these incidents were felt, and led to the reissuance of the Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke in Mesa County.

Map of fire locations and air quality monitors showing smoke impacts in western Colorado at approximately 9:30 am MDT on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Map courtesy of fire.airnow.gov.

Other locations throughout the 4-Corners region also saw an uptick in PM2.5 concentrations on Wednesday afternoon, and will likely contend with haze and Moderate air quality on Thursday and Friday. Smoke may linger in areas where it has infiltrated already, and additional smoke may arrive, depending on transport winds and fire activity on Thursday. Daytime mixing of the atmosphere will play a role on how quickly smoke may dissipate, and also how much smoke reaches the surface as the daily cycle of production and transport continues.

It appears that as upper level winds change direction as we move toward the weekend, the areas seeing smoke may shift. It is possible that the light to moderate impacts that are currently seen to the south of Mesa County, may move toward counties to the north and east of the Advisory area.

We will continue to watch these trends and will provide updates on smoke concentrations and our expectations as they become more clearly defined. We encourage everyone in western Colorado to remain aware of changing conditions and take health precautions as appropriate.

Heavy smoke moving into the Grand Valley and other parts of Mesa County

 Mesa County is now under an Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke through early Thursday morning.  Heavy smoke transported from the Dragon Bravo wildfire in northern Arizona along with a flare up in fire activity from local wildfires have made fine particulate levels spike all across Mesa County.  Closing the windows before going to bed tonight is a good idea in the Grand Junction area as smoke is not likely to decrease much during the overnight hours.

For additional information on how to protect your health from wildfire smoke, please visit the CDPHE Wildfire and smoke and health webpage.

Webcam image from Grand Junction Regional Airport shows heavy smoke Thursday evening.  Webcam image courtesy of the Federal Aviation Administration

Watching out-of-state wildfires

 Although there are several wildfires burning across the western U.S., the one fire that was most active yesterday and within somewhat close proximity to Colorado is the Dragon Bravo wildfire located in the northern part of Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona.  Satellite imagery from yesterday shows a large, well-defined smoke plume moving to the east-northeast in the direction of the Four Corners region.  

Visible satellite imagery shows a large smoke plume coming from the Dragon Bravo wildfire in northern Arizona.  Satellite imagery courtesy of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere.

Although the vast majority of this smoke has remained harmlessly aloft, we may start seeing some surface impacts across the West Slope of Colorado over the next few days.  Transport winds at the Dragon Bravo wildfire will continue to be from the southwest, so the threat for smoke heading towards Colorado will continue.  Additionally, we continue to monitor the local wildfires in western Colorado for any increase in activity as the weather heats up and dries out for the end of the week.

Air quality advisory will expire at 9am

 Air quality has improved so the advisory in southern Mesa and western Montrose will expire at 9am Saturday.  Keep in mind that the weather will be gradually drying out across the Western Slope this weekend, so fire activity could increase again along with smoke production.  We'll continue to keep a close on the fires and will re-issue advisories, if necessary.  

Less smoke across western Colorado

 The horizon is a bit clearer this morning across the Western Slope as smoke levels have decreased for most areas.  The reason behind this is that the local wildfires were much less active yesterday.  This was due to more cloud cover and higher moisture levels. Additionally, transport winds high up in the atmosphere were weaker yesterday.  The weaker transport winds resulted in smoke that was unable to travel as far from the fires as it did earlier this week.  The EPA's Fire and Smoke Map shows mostly moderate levels of particle pollution across the region this morning.

Fine particulate monitors in western Colorado show mostly moderate (yellow) readings Friday morning. Data and map courtesy of EPA's Fire and Smoke Map

The "burning" question today is how will the wildfires behave.  In many ways, it should be fairly similar to yesterday.  Although cloud cover is probably not going to be quite as extensive as yesterday, relative humidity levels will remain fairly high and transport winds will not be strong.  That being said, local thunderstorms could produce gusty, erratic winds which could both increase fire activity and send smoke in any direction.  So the biggest concern in the short-term will for areas in very close vicinity to the fires.  Southern parts of Mesa and western parts of Montrose Counties will be the areas with the highest chance of heavier smoke, especially late Friday night and early Saturday morning. This includes the communities of Gateway, Paradox, and Bedrock.

The weekend outlook includes a gradual drying trend, so the fires may become more active again.  That being said, if you would like to spend some time outdoors in Grand Junction, Delta, Montrose, or some of the local recreational areas such as Grand Mesa, today through tomorrow morning looks like a good option.

Ute 63 wildfire

 The Ute 63 wildfire is located in southwestern La Plata County in close proximity to State Highway 140 and near the New Mexico state line (see map below).  This fire has been active over the past 24 hours and has grown to approximately 537 acres and has spread from the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation to the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.

Location of the Ute 63 wildfire in southwestern La Plata County

Widespread cloud cover and higher relative humidity should be helpful in limiting smoke production today.  However, even though widespread heavy smoke is not anticipated, some areas of heavy smoke will be possible.  The best chance for heavier smoke will be in areas in very close proximity to the fire, particularly during the overnight and early morning hours.  This includes areas along State Highway 140 to the south of Redmesa to the New Mexico state line, along with rural roadways directly to the west of the wildfire.

There are many ways you can help protect your health from wildfire smoke. Please visit CDPHE's Wildfire smoke and health webpage to learn more and sign up for email air quality alerts for your area.  Additionally, you can find current air quality data on the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Air Quality Division webpage and the EPA's AirNow Fire and Smoke map.

Thursday morning wildfire update

 There is some encouraging news in the blog this morning as we are anticipating a little more moisture at the group of wildfires in western Colorado today.  We are not expecting heavy, soaking rainfall, but relative humidity and cloud cover should be somewhat higher than yesterday. This potentially could decrease fire activity and smoke production.  Additionally, the transport winds (the winds high in the atmosphere that carry smoke to distant locations) should also be weaker today. "Moderate" concentrations of fine particulates this morning are an improvement from what we saw yesterday.

Fine particulate measurements in western Colorado show "Moderate" levels of smoke.  Map courtesy of the EPA's fire and smoke map.

With this change in the weather pattern, we have shrunk the advisory footprint this morning.  So we are anticipating better air quality for locations away from the fire, such as Aspen, Gunnison, and Telluride.  However, counties that are close to the fire will continue to have a chance for periods of moderate to heavy smoke.  This includes the entirety of Mesa County, including Grand Junction, along with Delta and Montrose Counties. Residents in this area should continue to take action to protect your health from wildfire smoke.

It is important to know that wildfires are very unpredictable, particularly when they are located in complex terrain like we find in this part of western Colorado.  Therefore, we will closely monitor these fires throughout the day today and will not hesitate to expand the advisory again if necessary.  CDPHE is working closely with the agencies deployed to these fires, including the US Forest Service which has deployed an Air Resource Advisor to the Turner Gulch fire in southern Mesa County.  Additional smoke outlook products from resources deployed at these fires can be found at Inciweb and on the EPA's fire and smoke map.

Western Colorado smoke update

The South Rim, Sowbelly, Turner Gulch, Wright Draw, and Deer Creek Fires are burning in western Colorado and eastern Utah.

 An Air Quality Health Advisory has been in effect for southwest Colorado since Thursday. Today, we have updated the advisory to include Garfield, Pitkin, Eagle, Lake, and Chaffee Counties. San Juan and Hinsdale Counties are not under the advisory today. 

Smoke is moving further north and east, along the Colorado River Valley. Particulate Matter has already started to rise in Glenwood Springs, Aspen, and Rifle this morning.

PurpleAir map shows Particulate Matter concentrations this morning.

Thunderstorms are possible throughout western Colorado this afternoon. Gusty winds are possible, which could send smoke in any direction.

If you are sensitive to smoke, take steps to protect your health today. Stay up-to-date on the latest fire and smoke conditions by checking InciWeb and EPA's Fire and Smoke map.

Smoke expands in western Colorado

Wildfires have been the story for western Colorado since Thursday. Today, more Coloradans will be impacted by smoke.

Southern Mesa County has been smoky since Friday, but Grand Junction has been clear. Today, that changes- residents in Grand Junction are waking up to smoke.

Haze in Grand Junction this morning. Image courtesy of FAA Weathercams.

The Air Quality Health Advisory has expanded to include all of Mesa County, Hinsdale County, and San Juan County. Grand Junction, Silverton, and Lake City are now included in the advisory area.

An Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect for part of western Colorado.

The South Rim, Sowbelly, Turner Gulch, Wright Draw, and Deer Creek Fires are impacting air quality in western Colorado. 

The best chance for smoke is expected in areas near and downwind of the fires. Westerly to northwesterly winds are forecast for today. This means that locations east and southeast of the fires are likely to see the worst of it. 

If you are particularly sensitive to smoke, it's a good idea to take steps to protect your health today. You can stay up-to-date on the latest fire and smoke conditions on EPA's Fire and Smoke Map or InciWeb.

Wildfire smoke remains a concern for parts of western Colorado

 Hot and dry weather is doing no favors to residents in parts of western Colorado. Four wildfires will continue to pose a threat of moderate to heavy wildfire smoke to that area.  The below map from Inciweb shows the location of these four wildfires.

Location of wildfires in western Colorado and eastern Utah.  Mapping courtesy of Inciweb

  This morning's satellite image reveals some smoke across the area.  It's not overly heavy at the moment, but as the fires get more active Monday afternoon and evening there certainly could be an increase in smoke production.

Satellite imagery reveals smoke (circled in red) across parts of western Colorado and eastern Utah.  Satellite courtesy of Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)

The upper level transport winds will be shifting today from northerly to more westerly and decrease in intensity.  This means that the threat for wildfire smoke will decrease for locations to the south and far to the east, such as Durango, Pagosa Springs, and the San Luis Valley.  The highest threat for wildfire smoke over the next 24 hours will be for locations in close proximity to each of these fires, especially those located in or near drainages below these fires.  One other area of higher concern is in Montrose and San Miguel Counties directly downwind from the Deer Creek wildfire in Utah.  This is the largest of the fires and has the highest likelihood of producing heavy smoke today.  So a special heads up around Montrose and Telluride as it is possible smoke could head your way late in the day Monday and into Monday night.

We urge you to stay up-to-date on the very latest air quality advisories at our website.  Protecting your health is crucial during wildfire smoke episodes.  You can learn how to best protect your health at our wildfire smoke and health webpage.

Lots of smoke in Colorado on Friday, varying impacts by region

Fire activity has picked up across the west, including several new starts within Colorado. The greatest impacts are bring experienced by folks in southwestern parts of the state. Smoke from the Sowbelly Fire in southeast Mesa County, the South Rim Fire in eastern Montrose County, and the Deer Creek Fire in Utah (just west of the Colorado Border, west of Montrose County) are the primary sources of smoke locally. However several fires in other states are contributing as well.

Satellite image from 7:50 am on Friday July 11th shows smoke impacting many areas of southwestern Colorado, with heavy smoke lingering in mountain valleys. Image courtesy of CIRA/CSU.

The Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke has been expanded to include much of the 4-Corners/SW Colorado region. Daytime mixing of the atmosphere may decrease smoke in many areas during the day on Friday, however with hot and dry conditions expected to continue, fire activity and smoke production will likely result in similar impacts Friday night and Saturday morning; potentially continuing through the coming weekend.

Map from EPA's fire.airnow.gov shows the locations of fires and monitored smoke impacts in southwestern Colorado on Friday morning.

While our focus remains in the areas that are most severely impacted by smoke, hazy skies and light-to-moderate concentrations are possible statewide. Surface impacts will likely vary greatly from place to place and at different times throughout the day. We encourage anyone who is sensitive to fine particulate pollution to consider taking action to protect their health. Information can be found on our webpage to help determine what steps are appropriate.

We will keep a close watch on all of these incidents and will post developments and our expectations here as things progress.

Thursday afternoon smoke update

It has been an eventful day in Colorado, to say the least. We are tracking smoke in three separate areas.

First, multiple fires have sparked in western Colorado, including the South Rim Fire. An Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect for Montrose, Delta, and southern Mesa Counties until 9 am Friday morning. 

Fire hotspots (in red) on GOES-19 Satellite imagery. Multiple fires have sparked this afternoon in Colorado and Utah.

Second, smoke has moved into the Front Range. Particulate Matter concentrations in Longmont, Boulder, and Denver are starting to climb. This smoke originated from the Mount Irish Fire in Nevada. Smoke in the upper atmosphere moved into Colorado this morning. Now, that smoke has mixed down to the surface.

Third, the Mount View fire is burning north of Buena Vista. Refer to the Chafee County Sheriff's office for the latest information on evacuations. We do not expect any major public health impacts from smoke in this area. We will watch the situation and provide an update if anything changes.

If you are sensitive to smoke or near a fire, it's a good idea to take steps to protect your health. For the most up-to-date air quality data, check out CDPHE's monitors or PurpleAir sensors.

Black Canyon wildfire

 Wildfires have broken out on both rims of the Black Canyon near Montrose.  No smoke advisories at the moment but we will continue to monitor the situation.

Band 7 infrared satellite image shows a hot spot from wildfires at Black Canyon. Image courtesy of Colorado State University.

Smoky skies across the state on Thursday

Smoke is visible on satellite imagery, moving into Colorado from the southwest. However, it looks like this smoke hasn't yet mixed down to the ground. For the morning, smoke will remain in the upper atmosphere, but there may be a noticeable haze in the sky.

Thursday afternoon, as atmospheric mixing kicks in, smoke may mix down to the ground. Western Colorado has the highest chance of smoke reaching the surface. This includes Grand Junction, Rifle, and Steamboat Springs. 

No major public health impacts are expected at this time. People who are very sensitive to smoke may want to take steps to protect their health. We will update the blog if conditions worsen.

GOES-19 visible satellite image shows smoke (circled in red) moving into Colorado from Utah.

Hazy skies and light smoke possible in NW Colorado

Fire activity is pleasantly minimal in much of the western U.S. at the moment. The primary incident that may have effects in Colorado is the Madre Fire in southern California. Smoke from this fire is heading our way, however the plumes that have been produced so far are not overly concerning for air quality impacts in Colorado.

Smoke may arrive in areas of northwestern Colorado on Saturday. Hazy skies and the potential for light concentrations of particulate matter are possible in areas such as Grand Junction, Steamboat Springs, and areas near Dinosaur National Monument.

Significant health impacts are not anticipated. However folks who are sensitive to particle pollution should consider taking it easy, particularly if spending time outdoors in northwestern Colorado this weekend.

No smoke yet for Colorado this week

 This week, Coloradans are breathing in less smoke.

Last week, smoke from fires in Colorado and Utah affected western Colorado. Fire activity is lower this week, and smoke has cleared from Colorado.

As of today, Red Flag Warnings are in effect for parts of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. If fires spark in these upwind states, smoke could return to the conversation. We will watch for new fire starts and update the blog as necessary. 

Heading outdoors this holiday weekend? The US Forest Service has tips on how you can prevent wildfires. 

EPA's Fire and Smoke Map shows air quality across the Continental United States. Particulate Matter is Good to Moderate for the majority of the country. 

Smoke impacts in Colorado will vary by location on Friday

There is a lot gong on with regard to wildfires and smoke this morning. We have 2 wildfires burning in Colorado, and additional smoke being transported from out-of-state fires. Lets dig in.

Early morning satellite imagery shows smoke and haze in many areas. Notable concentrations of smoke can be seen in valleys and lower-lying terrain on the western slope and northern mountain areas. Additional haze can be seen spilling over to areas of the Front Range. Three areas will see impacts from smoke, each to varying degrees.

Satellite image, courtesy CIRA/CSU, shows wildfire smoke in areas of northern Colorado on Friday morning. Smoke is seen in valley areas and low-lying terrain, as well as dispersed concentrations of smoke across larger areas, including the northern Front Range region. Time of image is 7:40 am MDT on 6/27/2025.

The greatest impacts from smoke will be experienced in locations near the Hilltop Fire in Garfield County. An Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke has been issued for areas along and near the Colorado River and I-70, from Parachute to Rulison. Smoke is expected to linger along the valley floor in this area, producing the highest concentrations of smoke during overnight and early morning hours. As daytime mixing and winds increase, smoke concentrations may decrease somewhat during the afternoon and evening hours. Folks in this area should remain aware of current and changing conditions in order to reduce exposure and potential health impacts from smoke.

Google maps image shows the general area of the Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke, and the location of the Hilltop Fire near Rulison, CO on Friday June 27, 2025.

The second area of interest for smoke impacts is in southwestern Moffat County in northwest Colorado, due to the Horse Draw fire. This fire is located in a mainly rural area of Moffat County along Highway 40, northeast of Rangely, CO. Broad public health impacts from this fire are not expected. However, higher amounts of smoke are possible in close proximity to the fire and the transport of smoke may cause hazy skies and light to moderate concentrations of fine particulates in downwind areas. These effects may reach communities such as Craig, Hayden, and Steamboat Springs. 

Lastly, there is a broad potential for the influence from smoke over large areas of northern portions of Colorado, including the northern Front Range region. Concentrations of fine particulates (smoke) are expected to remain Good to Moderate in most areas on Friday, however we will keep a close watch on air quality conditions for any potential changes. 

As always, we urge people in all areas to take appropriate measures to reduce exposure to smoke and protect your health. Information can be found on our wildfire smoke and health webpage to help decide which measures are right for you.

We will continue to provide further information and updates on all of these situations as they develop.

2 new starts in Colorado

Two new fires have emerged on Thursday. The Hilltop fire is located in south central Garfield County, near Rulison, CO. The Horse Draw fire is in southwest Moffat County, northeast of Rangely, CO.  Information is limited on both of these fires, including location, size estimates, and extent of air quality impacts. However it is expected that areas near these fires will be impacted by moderate to heavy amounts of smoke. 

In areas near these fires, including along I-70 near Rulison, CO and along Highway 40 southwest of Maybell, CO, people who are sensitive to smoke should consider reducing exertion, and take measures to limit exposure to smoke. Health information and tips on reducing exposure can be found on CDPHE's webpage about wildfire smoke and health.

Map of northwest Colorado showing a satellite image indicating two new wildfires, one in southwest Moffat County and one in south central Garfield County. Image time is 6:20 pm MDT, Thursday June 26th. Image credit CIRA/CSU.