began in New Mexico before moving into Colorado. This fire consumed around 28000 total acres in New Mexico and Colorado with nearly 8000 acres in Colorado.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS PUB wrote it up.
The Track Fire...southeast of Trinidad...began in New Mexico before moving into Colorado. This fire consumed around 28000 total acres in New Mexico and Colorado with nearly 8000 acres in Colorado. In addition...both northbound and southbound Interstate 25 lanes in the vicinity of the the fire were closed from the 12th to the 16th. The cost of firefighting for Las Animas County was just over $2 million.
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 Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 13, 2:21 PM MST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 321 PM MDT MON JUN 13 2011 .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND TOMORROW) ...FIRE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES THIS EVENING...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE MAINLY FOR TOMORROW... HOT AND MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. RED FLAG WARNING WILL CONTINUE. SEE FIRE WEATHER DISCUSSION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ARE SLIM TONIGHT BUT NOT NON-EXISTENT. MOIST BOUNDARIES ARE PRESENT ACROSS THE PLAINS AS EVIDENT BY 40 AND 50 DEGREES DEWS NORTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM CALHAN THROUGH ABOUT SPRINGFIELD. ALSO...NOTE CU FIELD VISIBLE IN SATELLITE PICTURES ALONG MOIST BOUNDARY. SPC HAS DROPPED THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER FARTHER SOUTH TO ABOUT THE PALMER DIVIDE...BUT NOT INTO SOUTHERN COLORADO. THE GENERAL THUNDERSTORM THREAT DIPS SOUTH A BIT FARTHER. SO...WILL KEEP LOW ISOLATED POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR THIS EVENING FOR PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS ...MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF THE CALHAN TO SPRINGFIELD LINE. PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WILL ALSO HAVE A SMALL CHANCE FOR A THUNDERSTORM YET THIS EVENING. FOR TOMORROW...AN UPPER DISTURBANCE PASSES BY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA...DRIVING A WEAK BOUNDARY SOUTH THROUGH THE PLAINS. THIS WILL BRING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES UP A BIT ACROSS THE PLAINS FOR TOMORROW AFTERNOON COMPARED TO THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO...SHEAR LOOKS BETTER SO STORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON COULD HAVE A BIT OF A PUNCH. BOUNDARY SHOULD BRING COOLER AIR TO THE PLAINS TOMORROW...BY ABOUT 5 DEGREES. LW .LONG TERM... (TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH PASSING SHORTWAVE...BOTH NAM12 AND GFS40 A BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH SOUTHEAST PLAINS CONVECTION IN THE EVENING...SO HAVE UPPED POPS JUST A BIT. WEDNESDAY...DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A DAY FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. WITH MEAGER MOISTURE AND SOME INSTABILITY...ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS...AND DURING THE AFTERNOON IN THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS. THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...NEXT SHORTWAVE IN THE NORTHWEST U.S. INFLUENCES OUR AREA TIGHTENING THE GRADIENT AND YIELDS ANOTHER FIRE WEATHER DAY...WITH LOW HUMIDITY...AND GUSTY WINDS. AS THE TROUGH PASSES TO OUR NORTH...AND PUSH OF COOLER...MOISTER AIR MAY EDGE INTO OUR AREA DURING THE NIGHT. HOWEVER...THIS BOUNDARY COULD STALL NORTH OF US OR JUST EDGE IN DURING THE EVENING...DEPENDING ON STRENGTH OF CONVECTION TO THE NORTH AND POSITION OF THE SHORTWAVE. FRIDAY...AS THE SHORTWAVE PASSES...THE BOUNDARY COULD SET OFF SOME CONVECTION IN OUR AREA AROUND THE PALMER DIVIDE. IT WILL BE DRY ENOUGH IN THE AREA FOR FIRE CONCERNS...BUT THE WIND MAY NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH. SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...LITTLE IN THE WAY FOR CHANCES FOR RAIN...AS WE WILL RESIDE ON THE APEX OF THE SOUTHERN RIDGE. ANY FOCUS FOR STORMS LOOKS TO BE IN NORTHERN COLORADO. WINDS MAY NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS...BUT IT WILL CERTAINLY BE VERY WARM TO HOT ACROSS THE AREA. -TLM- && .AVIATION... LOCAL CONCERNS RELATED TO SPOTTY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS EVENING MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF A LINE RUNNING FROM CALHAN TO SPRINGFIELD. A LITTLE BIT MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY POSSIBLE ACROSS THE PLAINS FOR TOMORROW AFTERNOON...WITH STRONG STORMS POSSIBLE. ACTIVITY COULD EXTEND A LITTLE FARTHER WEST THAN TODAY...POSSIBLY BACK TO THE I-25 CORRIDOR...OR EVEN THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. ALTHOUGH MORE THAN TODAY...COVERAGE STILL LOOKS ISOLATED FOR THE MOST PART. LW && .FIRE WEATHER... RED FLAG WARNING WILL CONTINUE FOR THE PRE-EXISTING AREAS THROUGH 9 PM. HUMIDITIES ARE REALLY LOW IN THE WARNING AREA...GENERALLY 0 TO 5 PERCENT...AND WINDS HAVE COME UP IN MOST AREAS AS WELL. SATELLITE... RADAR AND VISIBLE INSPECTIONS ALL INDICATE ACTIVE SMOKE PLUMES FOR THE TRACK AND DUCKETT FIRES THIS AFTERNOON. SATELLITE IMAGERY ALSO SHOWS THAT THE OLD BEAR SPRINGS FIRE IN NORTH CENTRAL LAS ANIMAS COUNTY IS HOT AGAIN. LW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ221-222-224- 225-227>233-237. && 50/13
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1202 PM MDT MON JUN 13 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-141815- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT- LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT- EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT- CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT- WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT- LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT- EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT- SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT- NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT- WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT- WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET- WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT- WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT- TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT- CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY- NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7500 FT- COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT- WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT- TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT- CROWLEY COUNTY-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY- EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY- EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY- LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY- 1202 PM MDT MON JUN 13 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT EXTREME FIRE DANGER IS FORECAST FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN COLORADO FROM THROUGH THIS EVENING. DRY SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION WITH HUMIDITY VALUES FALLING INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS. WINDS WILL GUST 30 TO 40 MPH...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR. THESE VERY LOW HUMIDITY VALUES WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND CRITICALLY DRY FUELS TO PRODUCE THE VERY DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...HOWEVER CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN THIS OCCURRENCE. IF A THUNDERSTORM CAN GET GOING...THE MOST LIKELY THREAT WOULD BE LIGHTNING AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...MAINLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...PALMER DIVIDE...AND THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND LIGHTNING. GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL RETURN FOR THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. COMBINED WITH THE DRY CONDITIONS...THIS WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER ROUND OF HIGH FIRE DANGER WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID RATES OF SPREAD WITH ANY FIRES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET REPORTING CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY. 50/50
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, June 2011
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: 328793.