Fire Adapted Park County

Alerts BURN BANS, SMOKE ADVISORIES & FIRE WEATHER FOR PARK COUNTY

Current burn ban status, prescribed burn notices, and smoke advisories for Park County — plus the tools and outside resources you need to stay informed before, during, and after a wildfire.

Current status

Alerts & Announcements

Burn bans, prescribed burn notices, smoke advisories, and other official Park County alerts — all in one place, most recent first.

Alert August 19, 2026

We need your input – Very short Survey

Wildfire risk is rising in Park County. Clearing brush, trees, and other fuels close to your home, called Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) mitigation, is one of the most effective ways to protect your house. Here’s what we’re proposing:

FAPCo and the Park County Fire Protection Districts will apply for a grant that would cover 50% of the cost of eligible mitigation work on your property.

You’d hire an approved contractor and pay them directly.

Once the work is done and verified, you’d be reimbursed for half the cost.

Grouping neighboring properties together lets contractors work efficiently and keeps costs down for everyone, which is why we’re asking about your neighborhood as well as your property.

Your answers help us gauge interest, check eligibility, and plan projects by area. Nothing here commits you to participating.

Here is the link to the survey HIZ Survey – Fire Adapted

Burn Ban August 19, 2026

“It’s rained a lot over the last couple weeks, so why the fire ban still?”

Here is a great post from Southern Park County Fire Protection District

Southern Park County Fire & EMS

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“It’s rained a lot over the last couple weeks, so why the fire ban still?”

Great question—and here’s an illustrated answer!

If you look closely at this picture from the fire off Highway 9 the other day, you’ll see why. It was even raining while we were fighting this fire!

Above the red line is where the fire was burning in what’s called pine duff—dead pine needles, dry pine cones and dead grass.

Between the red and yellow lines, it’s bone dry. This area was protected by the tree branches.

Below the yellow line is the bare soil that the rain fell on that night, which is still relatively dry even though it was raining.

Underneath the material that gets wet when it rains is still VERY dry and combustible. This is due to the lack of prolonged precipitation not just how much rain we’ve received.

So, if the top is wet but underneath is dry, doesn’t that moisture help suppress and stop the fire?

Yes and no. It slows how quickly the fire spreads, but it’s not wet enough to put the fire out. The moisture evaporates faster than it can provide any fire stopping measures.

Hope this helps explain why we’re still in a fire ban!

Alert July 30, 2026

Upcoming Helicopter Activity in Mt. Bailey Area

Platte Canyon Fire is working on a project which will improve coverage of their area as well as improve overall performance for VHF equipment from the Mt. Bailey site. Weather-permitting, work is expected to begin July 31, 2026. Please be advised of helicopter activity in the area.

A separate notification will be sent out to residents in the area.

More info →

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Know the terms

Understanding Wildfire Warnings, Watches & Behavior

Red Flag Warnings, Fire Weather Watches, and wildfire behavior terminology can be confusing — the National Weather Service breaks down what each one means and why it matters.

National Weather Service — Wildfire Safety

A clear breakdown of Red Flag Warnings, Fire Weather Watches, and how wildfire behavior is classified, from the National Weather Service.

View on weather.gov →

The bigger picture

Controlled Burns

A short documentary exploring why wildfires have grown more extreme, featuring perspectives from fire scientists, land managers, and firefighters on what’s driving the trend — and what can realistically be done about it.