A destructive wildfire occurred in the Royal Gorge Park and surroundings. The wildfire scorched 3218 acres, and the cause of it remains under investigation.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A destructive wildfire occurred in the Royal Gorge Park and surroundings. The wildfire scorched 3218 acres, and the cause of it remains under investigation. It burned 48 of the 52 buildings in the Royal Gorge Park, closing the Park down for the forseeable future. At this time, a firm dollar amount of losses was not available, although it will be in the millions of dollars for both structures and revenue lost.
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 11, 11:54 AM MST, 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1254 PM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 318 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 ...HOT DRY AND WINDY EQUALS HIGH FIRE DANGER... CURRENTLY...SW FLOW ALOFT PERSISTED ACROSS THE REGION AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WAS CENTERED OVER OK AND TX. AN UPPER DISTURBANCE WAS CROSSING THE GREAT BASIN EARLY THIS MORNING. CLOSER TO HOME...A VERY MILD NIGHT TONIGHT WITH POOR HUMIDITY RECOVERY SO FAR. TODAY AND TONIGHT...NOT MUCH TO ADD TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN BROADCAST THE PAST 3 OR 4 DAYS. MODELS HAVE BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB ON TRACKING THE SET UP FOR WHAT COULD TURN OUT TO BE A VERY INTERESTING AND BUSY DAY. THE UPPER DISTURBANCE CROSSING THE GREAT BASIN WILL BE THE MAIN PLAYER IN FORCING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE ENTIRE CWA TODAY. RECORD TYING OR BREAKING HEAT IS IN THE FORECAST TODAY FOR MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH THE FORECAST GRIDS PAINTING A TIE AT 89 F FOR KALS...98 F FOR KCOS BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF 93 F...AND 106 F IN KPUB SMASHING THE OLD RECORD OF 100 F FOR THIS DATE. FORECAST MAX TEMPS ACROSS THE REGION ARE IN THE 60S AND 70S FOR THE MTS...UPPER 80S AND 90S FOR THE HIGH VALLEYS...AND 100-110 F FOR THE E PLAINS. ADD INTO THE MIX INCREASING W-SW SFC WINDS WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40 MPH THIS AFTN AND EARLY EVE...AND THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR IS IN PLACE. RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO ARE URGED TO MAINTAIN A HIGH STATE OF AWARENESS FOR ANY NEW FIRE STARTS OR OBSERVED SMOKE. THIS EVENING WINDS ARE FORECAST TO START DIMINISHING AS THE UPPER WAVE PASSES TO THE NORTH...AND THOUGH RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL REMAIN LOW...FIRE DANGER WILL DECREASE. LOOK FOR ANOTHER MILD NIGHT WITH MIN TEMPS IN THE 50S TO MID 60S. MOORE .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 318 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 UPPER WAVE CRESTS THE RIDGE AND DROPS INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS WEDNESDAY...PUSHING A DRY COLD FRONT THROUGH COLORADO. EXPECT COOLING OF 5-8F OVER THE PLAINS AND AROUND 5F OVER THE MOUNTAINS...WHICH STILL LEAVES READINGS IN THE MID 90S TO NEAR 100F OVER THE LOWER ARKANSAS VALLEY WED AFTERNOON. VERY LITTLE MOISTURE IN PLACE FOLLOWING THE FROPA...SO EXPECT ONLY SOME MINOR CUMULUS BUILDUP OVER THE MOUNTAINS. ON THU...UPPER HIGH MAKES A TEMPORARY SHIFT INTO THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS...WHICH WILL ALLOW A BRIEF INFLUX OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE TO ROTATE NORTHWARD AROUND THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE RIDGE THU AFTERNOON/EVENING. WITH LEE TROUGH REFORMING NEAR THE KS BORDER...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE STAYS LIMITED...SUGGESTING MAINLY ISOLATED DRY TSRA WITH LITTLE CHANCE OF WETTING RAINFALL. LAST FEW MODEL RUNS HAVE HINTED THAT EASTERN SAN JUANS MAY SEE BEST CHANCE OF STORMS...ESPECIALLY THU NIGHT...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS LOW ENOUGH TO KEEP POPS ISOLATED FOR NOW. MAY BE JUST ENOUGH CLOUD COVER THU AFTERNOON TO SHAVE A COUPLE DEGF OFF OF MAX TEMPS IN A FEW SPOTS...THOUGH AGAIN READINGS MAY STILL APPROACH 100F FROM KLHX TO KLAA. MID LEVEL MOISTURE PLUME BEGINS TO SHIFT EAST ACROSS COLORADO FRI...WHILE LOW LEVEL MOIST AIR LURKS NEAR THE KS BORDER. EXPECT ONE MORE ROUND OF HIGH BASED WEAK TSRA FRI AFTERNOON OVER MOST AREAS...THOUGH LOCATIONS NEAR THE KS BORDER COULD SEE SOME STRONGER STORMS IF MOISTURE CAN HOLD ON...THOUGH BETTER FORCING APPEARS TO BE SOUTH OVER THE TEX PANHANDLE AND EASTERN NM. RIDGE FLATTENS SLIGHTLY OVER THE WEEKEND...WHILE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SLOSHES BACK AND FORTH ALONG THE KS BORDER THROUGH THE PERIOD. AIR MASS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA LOOKS FAIRLY DRY BOTH SAT/SUN...AND BEGAN TO DECREASE POPS OVER THE MOUNTAINS/ADJACENT PLAINS AS LATEST GFS SUGGESTS LITTLE IF ANY TSRA AS SURFACE DEWPOINTS FALL INTO THE 20S AND LOWER. SLIGHTLY LOWER HEIGHTS/COOLER 700 MB TEMPS SHOULD ALLOW MAX TEMPS TO DRIFT LOWER BOTH DAYS...THOUGH READINGS WILL STILL BE ON THE HIGHER SIDE OF SEASONAL NORMS. SURFACE FRONT GETS SHOVED BACK SOUTH THROUGH THE PLAINS LATE SUN INTO MON...WHICH MAY LEAD TO AT LEAST A BRIEF INCREASE IN TSRA CHANCES FOR THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS MON...WHILE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS STAY DRY AND WARM. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1248 PM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 KNOTS WILL BE LIKELY AT THE TAF SITES THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON...GRADUALLY DECREASING THIS EVENING. IT WILL BE QUITE HOT TODAY WITH MAX TEMPS AOA 90F AT KALS...106 AT KPUB AND 98 AT KCOS. A COOL FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND TEMPS WILL NOT BE AS HOT TOMORROW....AND WINDS WILL BE FROM AN UPSLOPE DIRECTION...AND NOT NEARLY AS STRONG. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ220>237. && SHORT TERM...MOORE LONG TERM...PETERSEN AVIATION...HODANISH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 1114 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 COZ058>089-093>099-121715- 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- 1114 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG WINDS...GUSTING TO 35 TO 40 MPH...WILL COMBINE WITH HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO PRODUCE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR AND GROWTH IS LIKELY IF A FIRE STARTS...AND CAUTION IS ADVISED WITH ANY OUTDOOR BURNING ACTIVITIES TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...MAINLY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. ANY STORMS THAT FORM WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING...BUT LITTLE RAINFALL AS THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE REMAIN DRY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT. HODANISH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, June 2013
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: 450293, 450294.