When Is Fire Season?

The duration of fire season in Colorado is typically May through September. Your chances of being caught in a wildfire in Colorado Springs depends on where you live. The map image below shows the boundaries of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) outlined and shaded in blue. The Colorado Springs Fire Department defines this area as a geographic area “where houses or businesses are in or near mixed topographical and geographical features with various timber, brush, and grass species. It is an area that poses a greater than normal risk to people and their property due to the proximity of combustible vegetation and structures.” In other words, property owners and businesses located within the WUI have a greater than normal risk of being affected by a wildfire.

It is important to know your risk of a wildfire so you can better prepare in the event of one. This link will take you to an interactive map provided by the City of Colorado Springs. You can zoom in to see mitigation areas within the WUI, as well as the color-coded risk rate for different addresses. Click on “Get Hazard and Risk Rating Information by Address” at the top of the left-hand panel to search for a specific address and see its risk rating. If the lot is shaded in grey, there is no risk assessment available. If your address does not appear, then you do not live in the WUI. However, this doesn’t mean there is no risk of being affected by a wildfire. Wildfires can spread fast during droughts and high winds, carrying them to areas of town of lower or “no assessment” risk. Smoke from wildfires can be deadly and destructive, as well. This also applies to residents who don’t live in the WUI. Always be prepared for a wildfire evacuation.

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