Lightning started this wildfire in New Mexico, which eventually spread into Colorado burned around 6900 acres in south central Las Animas County southeast of Trinidad. Over 300 firefighters were on the Bear Fire, and three were treated for minor burns.
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.
Lightning started this wildfire in New Mexico, which eventually spread into Colorado burned around 6900 acres in south central Las Animas County southeast of Trinidad. Over 300 firefighters were on the Bear Fire, and three were treated for minor burns. The Governor declared Las Animas County a disaster area. The wildfire was not contained until June.
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 May 26, 2:38 PM MST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 338 PM MDT THU MAY 26 2011 FIRST...NWS PUEBLO IN NOW ON FACEBOOK. PLEASE VISIT OUR PAGE AND FEEL FREE TO "LIKE" US IF YOU FIND THE INFORMATION USEFUL. IT IS AN EXPERIMENTAL SERVICE...SO PLEASE VISIT THE OFFICIAL NWS PUEBLO WEB PAGE FOR OFFICIAL NWS WEATHER INFORMATION. .SHORT TERM... (TONIGHT AND TOMORROW) CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND RUC UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATING MODERATE TO STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE REGION AS STRONG 120KT PACIFIC JET STREAM TRANSLATES ACROSS THE WEST COAST AND INTO THE GREAT BASIN REGION WITH ANOTHER EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE LIFTING OUT ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES ATTM. WATER VAPOR ALSO INDICATING AMPLE MID AND UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH WAVE ACROSS THE ROCKIES CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST AT THIS TIME. LATEST MSAS DATA INDICATING LEE TROUGHING IN PLACE ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR WITH 3-4 MB PRESSURE FALLS BEING REALIZED ACROSS THE FAR SE PLAINS AT THIS TIME. THIS AFTERNOON...HIGH CLOUDS AND SLOWER KICKING OUT OF LEE TROUGH HAS KEPT HAS HAMPERED MIXING ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR THIS AFTERNOON...THOUGH HAVE SEEN THE EXPECTED GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS AND RED FLAG CONDITIONS DEVELOP ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN I-25 CORRIDOR AT THIS TIME AND STILL EXPECT RED FLAG CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP FOR THE WALSENBURG AND TRINIDAD AREAS THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AND WILL KEEP CURRENT WARNINGS IN PLACE. TONIGHT AND TOMORROW...STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION WITH NORTHERN ROCKIES SHORT WAVE CONTINUING TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS AS STRONG PACIFIC JET STREAM CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN. PASSING WAVE ALLOWS FOR INDUCED SFC LOW PRESSURE TO MOVE OUT ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS THIS EVENING WHICH CONTINUES OUT INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS OVERNIGHT. WITH THAT SAID..WILL SEE GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS DEVELOPING LATE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE EASTERN MTS AND I-25 CORRIDOR WITH WINDS BECOMING MORE NORTHERLY THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT WITH A WEAK BACKDOOR FRONT SLIDING ACROSS THE PLAINS...LIKELY KEEPING OVERNIGHT LOWS MILD...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE PLAINS. SHOULD SEE GOOD MIXING ONCE AGAIN ON FRIDAY IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND WITH THE GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS AND LOW EXPECTED HUMIDITIES...WILL GO AHEAD AND UPGRADE CURRENT FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. DEVELOPING UPSLOPE FLOW ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS BEHIND WEAK BACKDOOR FRONT WILL KEEP TEMPS SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN TODAY AND WILL ALSO KEEP CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM DEVELOPING ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO. AS FOR PRECIPITATION...HAVE CUT POPS ACROSS THE PIKES PEAK REGION THIS AFTERNOON WITH NOT MUCH INSTABILITY PROGGED ACROSS THE AREA...THOUGH HAVE KEPT CURRENT SLIGHT POPS IN TACT ACROSS THE CENTRAL MT WITH PROXIMITY TO PASSING WAVE. DRY CONDITIONS STILL LOOK TO PREVAIL AREAWIDE FOR TOMORROW. -MW .LONG TERM... (FRI NITE THROUGH WED) CONCERNS THIS PD ARE: OH WHERE...O WHERE...WILL THE BOUNDARY BE? ... ALONG WITH FIRE WX. WE WILL ALSO START TO WARM UP SIGNIFICANTLY LATER IN THE PD. FIRST OFF...SIMULATIONS ARE NOW COMING IN A BIT COOLER FOR THIS WEEKEND....ESPECIALLY UP IN THE PIKES PEAK REGION...WHERE TEMPS WILL BE IN THE 65-70F RANGE (AND IT MAY BE EVEN COOLER THAN THAT). ON THE OTHER HAND...TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY BE IN THE 80-85 DEGREE RANGE ACROSS THE TRINIDAD REGION (AND IT MAY BE EVEN A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN THAT). WITHOUT SAYING...THERE WILL BE A BOUNDARY LYING ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS THIS WEEKEND...AND THE MODELS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME ON ITS' EXACT LOCATION. IN GENERAL...THE BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY BE LYING FROM SOMEWHERE SOUTH OF KCOS TO SOMEWHERE AROUND OR SOUTH OF THE SPRINGFIELD REGION. AS FOR SENSIBLE WX ALONG THE FRONT... TOUGH CALL. I AM CONFIDENT WE WILL LIKELY SEE SOME SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER THE PIKES PEAK REGION...ESPECIALLY SAT LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. GIVEN THE COOLER TEMPS...THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE THAT THEY WILL NOT BE AS STRONG AS EARLIER EXPECTED. IF JUST ENOUGH INSTABILITY CAN GET INTO THE PIKES PEAK REGION THEN WE COULD HAVE A STRONG STORM OR TWO...BUT IF IT IS TOO COOL...THEN WE MAY JUST HAVE ONLY ELEVATED CONVECTION. FWIW...SPC DOES NOT HAVE THE AREA OUTLOOKED ATTM...AND FOR THAT MATTER...NONE OF CO IS OUTLOOKED FOR SAT OR SUN. FARTHER SE ALONG THE BOUNDARY...INSTABILITY IS BETTER...BUT THINGS ARE LOOKING A BIT TOO CAPPED ATTM. THERE IS STILL LOTS OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE EXACT LOCATION OF THIS BOUNDARY AND ANY POTENTIAL FOR SENSIBLE WX ALONG IT. FOR NOW I HAVE SCATTERED POPS OVER THE PIKES PEAK REGION WITH VERY LOW POPS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE REGIONAL PLAINS. GIVEN THAT WE ARE COSMOLOGICALLY RAMPING UP TO OUR SVR WX SEASON HERE IN CO...I EXPECT WE WILL SEE ONE OR TWO ROTATING STORMS THIS WEEKEND. WE WILL LIKELY SEE A BIT OF LOW CLOUDS OVER THE PLAINS SAT NITE/SUNDAY MORNING. THERE IS A CHANCE THE PIKES PEAK REGION COULD REMAIN ON THE CLOUDY SIDE MOST...IF NOT ALL OF THE DAY...ON SUNDAY. AS FOR FIRE WX...MAIN THREAT AREAS ARE THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...AND AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM JUST SOUTH OF PUEBLO TO SPRINGFIELD. FOR MONDAY...WE WILL SEE A WIDESPREAD FIRE WX THREAT OVER THE ENTIRE REGION. THIS DAY CONTINUES TO BE THE WORST DAY FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS. FROM TUE INTO THE END OF THE WEEK...TEMPS WILL BE WARMING UP SIGNIFICANTLY. 90S WILL RETURN TO A GOOD CHUNK OF THE PLAINS WHILE 60S AND 70S WILL HIT THE HIGH COUNTRY. SOME SHOWER WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF THE REGION BY MID WEEK AS MSTR WORKS ITS WAY UP FROM THE SOUTH. \/HODANISH .FIRE WX... MAIN CONCERNS WILL BE THE SAN LUIS VALLEY SAT AND SUN. SOME GUSTY WINDS COULD MAKE IT DOWN TO THE RATON MESA REGION ON THESE TWO DAYS. A SIGNIFICANT FIRE WX EVENT WILL BE LIKELY ON MONDAY...MEMORIAL DAY...AS STRONG WSW WINDS COVER THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. .HYDROLOGY... TEMPS WILL FINALLY START TO WARM UP IN THE MTNS STARTING TUESDAY LASTING INTO LATE WEEK. TEMPS WILL BE IN THE 60S AND 70S HIGHER TRRN...AND THE SNOW WILL BEGIN MELTING MORE RAPIDLY. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 20-30KTS AT ALS TO DIMINISH AFT 02Z AND DEVELOP AGAIN AFT 17Z FRI..THOUGH WILL BE A TAD LESS THAN TODAY. EXPECTING GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 20-30KT TO DEVELOP AT COS AND PUB BETWEEN 22-24Z THIS AFTERNOON WITH WINDS DIMINISHING AND BECOMING MORE WEST TO NORTHWEST THROUGH THE EVENING. WILL SEE NORTHERLY WINDS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS OVERNIGHT WITH EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS AGAIN BY LATE FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. -MW && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ224-229-230. RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 8 PM MDT FRIDAY FOR COZ224. FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR COZ224. && 23/34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1125 AM MDT THU MAY 26 2011 COZ058>089-093>099-271400- 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- 1125 AM MDT THU MAY 26 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR...INCLUDING THE WALSENBURG AND TRINIDAD AREAS. THE FUELS IN THESE LOCATIONS ARE DRY...AND WHEN COMBINED WITH GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 20 TO 35 MPH...AND MINIMUM HUMIDITIES BELOW 15 PERCENT...WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR AND RAPID RATES OF FIRE SPREAD...IF A FIRE WERE TO START. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL COLORADO MOUNTAINS AND OVER TELLER COUNTY AND THE PIKES PEAK AREA. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER DAY OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY EVENING ACROSS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AS GUSTY WINDS AND LOW MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES COMBINE WITH EXISTING DRY CONDITIONS. ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM IS PROJECTED TO MOVE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON SATURDAY AND THEN PUSH ACROSS GREAT BASIN ON SUNDAY. INCREASING CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE NOTED ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE REGION FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. THE PRIMARY METEOROLOGICAL THREATS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING...HOWEVER THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT ONE OR TWO STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THIS AREA DURING THIS WEEKEND. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COLORADO KANSAS BORDER. ON MONDAY...INCREASING WINDS AS WELL AS LOW MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER LARGE PORTIONS OF THE REGION...LEADING TO ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY EVENING. FINALLY...FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO NEXT WEDNESDAY...ISOLATED STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT. 23/23
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, May 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: 316722.