Colorado, 2001

Wildfire in Colorado, July 17 to 31, 2001

July 17 to 31, 2001 · NWS GJT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Three lightning sparked wildfires, better known as the Ecklund Complex, consumed over 2000 acres of rangeland and forest in the vicinity of Dinosaur National Monument in extreme northwest Colorado. An abandoned cabin was also destroyed during the wildfire.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.

Three lightning sparked wildfires, better known as the Ecklund Complex, consumed over 2000 acres of rangeland and forest in the vicinity of Dinosaur National Monument in extreme northwest Colorado. An abandoned cabin was also destroyed during the wildfire. This fire complex burned into the month of August. Please see the August report of Storm Data for more information.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 17, 1:00 PM MST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 1:00 PM MST, 5 hours before
WESTERN COLORADO & EASTERN UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
200 PM MDT TUE JUL 17 2001

UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE PLUMB STREAMING UP FROM LAST NIGHTS COMPLEX IN
NORTH MEXICO. DEW POINTS IN S AZ WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED TO SEE HOW
MUCH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MOVES UP. JET FCST TO WEEKEN BETWEEN 6Z-12Z
TONIGHT. BEST CHANCE FOR PCPN THIS EVENING APPEARS IN ZONE 19 WITH
LEFT OVER MOISTURE AND ORAGRAPHIC FLOW. WILL KNOCK POPS DOWN THUR WED
AND BRING BACK BEGINNING THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WILL ALSO RAISE TEMPS
A CATG OR TWO WED. DJC/21

EXTENDED...FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE
PERIOD...PROMISING DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST
AREA. EXCEPTION WILL BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS...WHERE
MONSOONAL MOISTURE AXIS WILL STILL BE IN THE VICINITY.  MRF BRINGS
SOME MOISTURE BACK NORTHWARD LATE IN THE PERIOD...SO WILL RE-
INTRODUCE POPS FOR THE ENTIRE AREA FOR NEXT MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
HOWEVER...WITH MOISTURE NEVER REALLY FAR AWAY WE STILL COULD SEE
MORE ACTIVITY THIS WEEKEND...BUT FOR NOW WILL JUST LEAVE IT DRY.
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN CLOSE TO SEASONAL NORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD.
JC

.GJT...NONE.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Moffat

When
July 17, 6:00 PM MST to July 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Moffat County, 20 mi N of Dinosaur
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
40.618, -108.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, July 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5257749.