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.