Fire Danger and Behavior Analysis
Fire Bans & Danger
Information on fire restrictions and bans can change rapidly. The most current information can and should be obtained from your local county sheriff or the forest service.
This map does not provide information on federal restrictions within lands managed by the USFS, BLM or NPS. It is limited to Colorado county jurisdictions.
Interactive Map of Colorado Counties Fire Restrictions
Click on a county to see fire restriction information.
If you have trouble seeing the map, you can visit Google maps here: Interactive Map
Fire Behavior Analysis for Huerfano County (Background)
SPAWP was awarded a grant in 2020 from AIM-COCO, which included the development of a wildfire risk mapping study and accompanying analyses which will assist in the prioritization of wildfire mitigation project planning. These studies cover the Lower Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) as well as the Upper Huerfano Fire Protection District (UHFPD) areas, and are instrumental in the establishing the basis for CWRAs in Cuchara, Gardner and along the CR 580, a watershed and evacuation route – contributing to the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for Huerfano County.
Paul Minow, SPAWP’s Fire Ecologist and Fuels Specialist Consultant, recently retired from the BLM and is based out of Alamosa and has a cabin in Navajo Ranch. Paul’s past work includes a Cuchara West Study which provided key information to update their wildfire risk assessment.
Wildfires in Colorado have been increasing in frequency and severity, often leading to longer watershed recovery periods and necessitating an “all hands on deck” approach to post-fire rehabilitation. Counties, tribes, municipalities, and water providers are typically the entities most directly and immediately impacted by wildfire and post-fire erosion and flooding, yet there is a gap in guidance in terms of navigating the complexities surrounding post-fire rehabilitation. This Post-Fire Playbook is designed to help fill that gap, by serving as an actionable worksheet that includes specific and critical steps to take and contacts to make before, during, and within the first 30 days of a fire to facilitate the process.
The La Veta Fire Protection District (FPD) is located in the southwest portion of Huerfano county. It is comprised of approximately 145,000 acres and ranges in elevation from 6,700 to the 13,626 foot West Spanish Peak. The greater majority of the lands within the FPD are privately owned properties with some limited Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest service lands. The largest town in the district is La Veta and to the south is the small incorporated town of Cuchara. There are several subdivisions within the district such as Wayatoya valley, Cuchara West, Tres Valles and Pinehaven.
The Upper Huerfano Fire Protection District (FPD) is located in the northwest portion of Huerfano county. It is comprised of approximately 336,000 acres and ranges in elevation from 6,700 to the 14,344 foot Blanca Peak. The greater majority of the lands within the FPD are privately owned properties with some limited Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands. The largest town in the district is Gardner with few other towns in the district. Redwing is a small ranching community to the southwest of Gardner. There are few subdivisions within the district however there are many areas with concentrations of homes.