Cameron Peak Fire

Record-breaking wildfires in 2020 turned huge swaths of Western forests into barren burn scars. Those forests store winter snowpack that millions of people rely on for drinking and irrigation water. But with such large and wide-reaching fires, the science on the short-term and long-term effects to the region’s water supplies isn’t well understood.

The city of Fort Collins has lifted its mandatory outdoor water restrictions due to maintenance work on Horsetooth Reservoir and the risk of water quality issues from wildfires.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office lifted evacuation orders near Colorado’s two largest active wildfires on Monday, ending weeks of uncertainty for many residents about when they could return home.

The Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park will remain closed this weekend, with no expected reopening date in the near future. With warm and dry weather in the forecast, there is still potential for new fires to start and existing ones to grow. The Cameron Peak, Cal-Wood and East Troublesome fires are still burning under the snow, and officials have recorded new smoke and visible flames from within the existing fire perimeters.

In the midst of a record-breaking fire season, and as two of the largest fires our state has ever seen continue to burn, KUNC’s Colorado Edition spoke with Mike Lester, state forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service, about how Colorado’s forests are managed.

The deadly coronavirus adds new uncertainties, while a growing body of research shows significant and enduring health risks from wildfire smoke.

Colorado, the U.S. Postal Service and county elections departments offer support services to ensure people can easily cast their ballot in tumultuous emergency situations. And officials say there's no need to stress about it — there’s still plenty of time.

Officials are tracking the explosive growth of the East Troublesome Fire on both sides of the Continental Divide and into the “crown jewel” of Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park. As flames burned on its eastern side, near the town of Estes Park, the western side was the main area of focus. The fire exploded to 188,000 acres as of Friday afternoon, making it the second-largest wildfire in state history.

Gov. Jared Polis traveled around the state on Friday to get a firsthand look at the efforts that are underway to contain several record-breaking wildfires. Capitol Coverage reporter Scott Franz spoke to Polis over the phone after he left a meeting this morning with evacuees of the East Troublesome Fire in Grand County.

Firefighters are crediting the cold front that moved into Boulder County on Thursday in helping them get the Cal-Wood Fire under better control. The fire is now considered 55% contained. The Lefthand Canyon Fire is considered 100% contained. Firefighters are expected to patrol the fire lines today and make improvements as necessary.