Colorado, 2020

Wildfire in Colorado, October 17 to 31, 2020

October 17 to 31, 2020 · NWS BOU · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A fast moving wildfire developed in the foothills of Boulder County. The Cal-Wood Fire started near Jamestown and quickly spread eastward through the foothills of Boulder County.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$37 million
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 BOU wrote it up.

A fast moving wildfire developed in the foothills of Boulder County. The Cal-Wood Fire started near Jamestown and quickly spread eastward through the foothills of Boulder County. The fire occurred during a protracted period of hot and dry weather, and a drought that started in the Spring and continued into Fall. It was pushed by strong winds. The National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Mesa lab recorded gusts up to 59 mph on the 17th. The fire quickly consumed nearly 8,788 acres within a 24-hr period. At one point, more than 1,600 residences and nearly 3,000 people were under evacuation orders, including the small town of Jamestown. By the end of the month, the Cal-Wood fire had consumed 10,105 acres, and became the largest wildfire in Boulder County history, surpassing Fourmile Fire in 2010. The Cal-Wood fire burned a total of 26 homes, with preliminary property damage estimates of $36.9 million.

The radar

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

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Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Boulder & Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet / W Broomfield County

When
October 17, 11:00 AM MST to October 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Boulder & Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet / W Broomfield County forecast zone
Property damage
$37 million
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
39.878, -105.220 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The fire quickly consumed a total 10,105 acres and burned 26 homes. It became the largest wildfire in Boulder County history. According to real estate value website Zillow, the 26 homes and properties damaged or destroyed by the CalWood fire had a collective value of approximately $36.9 million. The CalWood properties that were destroyed held an average value of $1.7 million.

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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, October 2020

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 922342.