Tracking Colorado Wildfire Damage Year by Year

Despite being a landlocked state, Colorado is home to plenty of natural disasters. We pretty much have everything except hurricanes. Even then, our weather can be affected by hurricanes around the U.S.

Out of all the natural disasters that hit Colorado, wildfires cause more damage than most. They affect our homes and neighborhoods, wildlife, forests, and tourism.

That's not saying the others don't cause their fair share of turmoil; we're just focusing on wildfires in this case.

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What Are the Most Common Causes of Wildfires in Colorado?

Fire from the Black Forest Fire burns behind a stand of trees June 12, 2013, near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The fire has reportedly burned 80 to 100 homes and has charred at least 8,000 acres. (Photo by Chris Schneider/Getty Images)

There are many causes of wildfires. Sadly, the main cause of wildfires in Colorado is human activity.

According to the United States Forest Service, anywhere between 60 and 85% of all wildfires are caused by humans. This could be from campfires, equipment sparks, smoking, or burning debris. This also includes utility-related including powerlines, transformers, and equipment failures.

Another major contributor to wildfires is lightning. The Colorado State Forest Service states that 15 to 40% of fires are caused by weather-related issues.

2 to 10% of fires can be attributed to intentional ignitions, also known as arson. However, this is likely underreported due to weak investigations.

Take a scroll through Colorado's wildfires listed by the area burned by year. The stats include the year, the number of fires, and the acres burned.

Colorado Wildfire Damage by Year, Number of Fires + Acres Burned

Colorado has seen its fair share of wildfires over the years, but the numbers really start to tell the story when you look at them year by year.

From just a few thousand acres burned in the '90s to massive jumps in the 2000s, it’s clear something has changed.

We dug into the data to see which years were the worst and how things have shifted across the state.

Gallery Credit: Tim Gray

Interesting Facts About Colorado Wildfires

Mountain tops burned by the Pine Gulch Fire sit cleared of fire activity on August 26, 2020, in Grand Junction, Colorado. The fire, which is Colorado's second-largest recorded wildfire, has burned 135,920 acres. The fire is at 47% containment. Wildfires across the state have contributed to air quality warnings. (Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images)

Some of these facts are extremely hard to believe. We're living during a time when wildfires in Colorado are the worst they've ever been. Historically speaking.

20 of the largest 20 wildfires occurred in the last 20 years, since 2001.
16 of those wildfires have occurred in the last 13 years, since 2008.
15 of the top 20 have occurred in the last 9 years, since 2012.
11 of the largest in the last 5 years, since 2016.
9 of those in the last 3 years, since 2018 and 2020.
4 of the top 5 have occurred in the last 3.

Talk about eye-opening.

Keep scrolling to see the largest 20 wildfires in Colorado: 👇🏻

Colorado's 20 Largest Wildfires of All Time

Colorado's 20 largest wildfires have all taken place since the year 2000.

All of the Pictures of the Pine Gulch Fire You Sent Us

The Pine Gulch Fire near Grand Junction/De Beque has been growing since July 31. Look at all of the devastating pictures of the Pine Gulch Fire that you sent us.