Rio Blanco Fire

Perimeter mapped September 15, 2026 at 4:54 PM MDT, 1,388 acres (ir image interpretation). Point of origin 37.125, -106.985.

Live radar at the fire Forecast for Pagosa Springs

Size

1,388 acres

Containment

100%

Discovered

July 28, 2026 at 3:11 PM MDT

Contained

August 19, 2026 at 9:30 AM MDT

Controlled

September 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM MDT

Declared out

September 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM MDT

Cause

Natural

Location

10 Miles S from Pagosa Springs, CO

County

Archuleta County

State

Colorado

Nearest city reported

Pagosa Springs

Protecting agency

USFS

Jurisdiction

USFS

Land ownership at origin

USFS

Personnel assigned

26

Incident management

Type 4 IC, Type 3 Incident

Primary fuel

Timber (Grass and Understory)

Estimated cost to date

$11,150,793

Incident type

Wildfire

Unique fire identifier

2026-COSJF-000806

IRWIN identifier

31E42281-5DC8-48B0-9031-AF570C7B2CDF

Mapped area at the last perimeter of each day, from July 29, 2026 (440 acres) to September 15, 2026 (1,388 acres). The largest one-day growth was 269 acres, mapped July 30, 2026.

This fire is no longer listed as current. The forecast for Pagosa Springs, CO covers the area today.

Posted on InciWeb, updated August 31, 2026.

The Rio Blanco Fire was declared 100% contained at 5 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. It was officially declared OUT on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. This Inciweb Page will no longer be updated.--------------CLOSURES LIFTED: The San Juan National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lifted the Rio Blanco Fire road closure, effective August 25th, 2026. Travelers are being asked to avoid driving on NFS 653. B as it was damaged as a result of heavy fire traffic and will require additional repair when soil moisture content is higher. The likelihood of getting stuck or damaging a vehicle is very high. Any public entering the fire area should exercise extreme caution. Hazards include fire-weakened trees, hot spots and ashpits, loose rocks, flash flooding, and debris flows. Avoid the area during high wind and rainstorms.--------------The Rio Blanco Fire, which burned 1,388 acres south of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, was declared 100% contained at 5 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. It was officially declared OUT on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, officials with the San Juan National Forest announced that all road closures related to the incident have been lifted. The fire started on July 28, 2026, due to a lightning strike. While the fire is fully contained, forest officials caution that hazards remain within the burned area.

Original at InciWeb

• Pagosa Springs, CO10 miles north of the fire’s origin
• Navajo, NM13 miles south of the fire’s origin
• Dulce, NM13 miles south of the fire’s origin
• Chama, NM27 miles southeast of the fire’s origin
• Bayfield, CO34 miles west of the fire’s origin
• Durango, CO50 miles west of the fire’s origin