Colorado Fire Information

Fire management in Colorado is an interagency partnership among federal, state and local entities.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-managed lands within Colorado are broken into four interagency fire management units: Northwest Colorado Fire Unit in Craig, Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Unit in Grand Junction, Southwest District Fire Unit in Montrose and Front Range District Fire Unit in Canon City.

During Colorado's fire season, which is typically May through September, BLM resources such as engines and crews are staffed five to seven days a week. Crews are staffed in staggered shifts to provide full-time coverage to respond to wildfires.

In addition to the agencies’ regular initial attack forces, BLM Colorado also hosts an interagency hotshot crew, which is available nationally. Other fire resources include a wildland fire module in Grand Junction and one Type-3 helicopter in Rifle.

BLM Colorado also devotes staff and resources to rehabilitating burned landscapes, reseeding vegetation, protecting watershed quality and preventing the spread of noxious weeds following severe wildfires. On average, the BLM completes about 9,000 acres of fuels reduction projects in Colorado, including those associated with sage-grouse habitat.

Throughout the year, the BLM also helps Colorado counties complete wildfire protection plans by offering technical expertise and assistance agreements. The BLM and its cooperators have completed several hundred community-based, interagency educational workshops to support community wildfire preparedness, planning, and hazard mitigation.

Fire Restrictions

Visit the sections below for local contact information, fire restrictions, and fire related closures for the area(s) you are planning to visit.

Year-Round Fire Restrictions

Unless permitted in writing by an authorized officer, visitors to BLM-managed public lands are prohibited from:

• Leaving a fire unattended or unextinguished.
• Possessing, discharging or using fireworks of any kind.
• Discharging a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition.
• Burning, igniting, or causing to burn any tire, wire, magnesium, or any other hazardous or explosive material.
• Operating any off-road vehicle on public lands unless the vehicle is equipped with a properly installed spark arrester pursuant to 43 CFR 8343.1 (c).

District Fire Restrictions

• Northwest District fire restrictions
• Rocky Mountain District fire restrictions
• Southwest District fire restrictions
• Upper Colorado River District fire restrictions

Success on Colorado's Public Lands

BLM Colorado, in partnership with the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, continues to improve public land health and wildfire resilience through strategic fire and fuels management. These efforts are restoring critical landscapes, improving wildlife habitat, and helping protect nearby communities from the threat of large, high‑severity wildfires.

Discover where fire and fuels projects are making a difference on your BLM-managed public lands in Colorado:

• What one hillside in southwest Colorado teach us about helping woodlands and fighting fire across the West
• A prescribed burn averts a potential disaster outside of Durango
• Partners are shredding encroaching pinyon‑juniper to bring sagebrush habitat back to life and boost wildfire resilience
• Good Neighbor Authority helps communities along the front range of Colorado
• Crews teamed up under the Good Neighbor Authority across private and public lands at Poncha Pass
• History of Deer Haven as a focal area for prescribed fires and mechanical treatments
• Fuels reductions in northwest Colorado creates resilient landscapes for generations to come