Fremont County
Population 50,039 (2025) 1,534 sq mi
Large wildfires have burned 31,493 acres of Fremont County since 1984, 29th most of 64 counties in Colorado; the largest was the Hayden Pass Fire in 2016.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 19509
- Wildfire burn scars since 19846
At a glance
The record for Fremont County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Acres burned since 1984
31,493
29th of 64 in Colorado
6 large fires; the largest was Hayden Pass, 2016
DetailsStrongest tornado
F1
July 13, 1989, 0.3 mile path
Snowiest season
77.4in
Winter of 1996-97
Tornadoes
About one every 8.4 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
July 13, 1989
F1, 0.3 mile path
30 yards wide.
Most recent
Thursday, June 23, 2016
EFU, 0.2 mile path
10 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Jun 23, 2016 | EFU | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 25, 2014 | EF0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 15, 2004 | F0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 5, 2003 | F0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 5, 1997 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 13, 1989 | F1 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1988 | F1 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 22, 1985 | F1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 19, 1985 | F1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Fremont County: 0.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.
Wildfire and smoke
31,493 acres burned in 6 large fires since 1984, equal to 3.2% of the land.
Largest
July 8, 2016
Hayden Pass Fire, 17,961 acres
17,038 acres inside Fremont County.
Most recent
September 8, 2019
Decker Fire
9,869 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Decker | 2019 | 4,005 | 9,869 |
| Hayden Pass | 2016 | 17,038 | 17,961 |
| Royal Gorge | 2013 | 3,290 | 3,288 |
| Duckett | 2011 | 1,056 | 4,699 |
| Iron Mountain | 2002 | 3,954 | 3,953 |
| Dinosaur | 1988 | 2,146 | 2,145 |
- Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2021: 37 days
Heavy smoke on 12 days in 2020, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
11.9 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
14 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 24 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
72 federal flood insurance claims since 1980, with $344,000 paid.
Most claims in one year
1996: 23 claims
$52,000 paid.
2nd most
1991: 7 claims
$4,359 paid.
3rd most
2013: 6 claims
$33,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 81212 | 63 | $214,000 |
| 81226 | 7 | $39,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood57
- Heavy Rain7
- Flood6
2 deaths recorded in flood events since 1996.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
River crests
Most severe crest
July 6, 2006
Arkansas River at Portland, 12.94 ft
3.94 feet above the 9.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
July 6, 2006
Arkansas River at Portland, 12.94 ft
Major flooding.
River gauges
| Arkansas River at Cañon City | 10.0 | 10.90 ft | 0 |
| Arkansas River at Parkdale | 9.0 | 9.13 ft | 0 |
| Arkansas River at Portland | 9.0 | 12.94 ft | 2 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 168 of 1,581 months since 1895 (11%); the longest spell lasted 18 months.
168
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
66
Months in extreme drought
11%
Share of all months, severe or worse
Lowest reading
August 2026
−6.96, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
18 months
March 2012 to August 2013.
Latest month
September 2026
−6.03, extreme drought
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides
1 earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.0 in 1994.
8
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
11
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
1
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
December 25, 1994
Magnitude 4.0
9 km NE of Larkspur, Colorado; 44.8 miles away, 6.2 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
October 17, 2025
Magnitude 3.0
11 km NNE of Black Forest, Colorado; 35.1 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Dec 25, 1994 | 4.0 | 44.8 |
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Volcanoes within 100 miles
| Dotsero Volcanic Center | 87.9 | Moderate |
- U.S. volcanoes within 100 miles, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The threat category is the USGS 2018 National Volcanic Threat Assessment, which ranks volcanoes by how hazardous their past eruptions were and how many people and how much infrastructure lie near them. It is not a forecast of eruption.
USGS Volcano Hazards Program, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
235
Landslides mapped, probable or better
6
With a recorded date
2
Source inventories
Mapped by CO GS (229), NASA (6).
- Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.
USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
453 events in the National Weather Service record, 428 of them since 1996.
63
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
8
Hail, 2 inches or larger
13
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
162
Winter weather events since 1996
0
Heat events since 1996
5
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
August 1, 1996
3.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
July 3, 1984
91 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 6 | 0 |
| Dust storms and dust devils | 1 | 0 |
| Debris flows | 1 | 0 |
| Avalanches | 1 | 1 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Jun 2, 2002Wildfire$5.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Iron Mountain fire started in the early afternoon of June 2nd when a barbeque grill was overturned by high winds. The fire quickly spread, and consumed nearly 4,500 acres of pinon, juniper grass, Ponderosa pine and Gambel oak. Eighty eight mostly manufactured homes were destroyed, along with around 100 outbuildings. Many of the houses and outbuildings were uninsured. It cost nearly 1 1/2 million dollars to fight the fire.
- Jul 5, 2006Flash Flood$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Four to 6 inches of rain fell in approximately 2 hours on already saturated ground and caused significant flash flooding over a part of eastern Fremont county. The drainage basins of Beaver, Brush Hollow and Eightmile Creeks were overwhelmed, while several roads (County Roads 123 and 132, Phantom Canyon Road, State Highway 115) and bridges were washed out or damaged. Brush Hollow Creek was particularly destructive, overwhelming the culvert at State Highway 115 between Penrose and Florence. For a time, the fast flowing water was over 200 yards wide across the road. That portion of Highway 115 over the culvert was completely destroyed and remained closed for six weeks. County Road…
- Aug 8, 1996Flash Flood$800,000
National Weather Service narrative
Strong thunderstorms moved across Eastern Fremont county, producing rainfall totals ranging from 2 1/2 to 5 inches. The heavy rainfall caused extensive damage to structures and roads in Canon City, making this the most costly flood in recent history.
- Jul 3, 2008Lightning$150,000
National Weather Service narrative
Lightning sparked a fire that destroyed two cabins and a vehicle.
- Feb 22, 1996High Wind, Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Above 11000 Ft$150,000
National Weather Service narrative
High winds occurred along the lee slopes of the Rampart Range and Wet Mountains in the morning hours. Winds gusted to over 60 knots throughout much of that area...with a peak gust of 76 knots at Monument in El Paso county. Winds at the Air Force Academy gusted to 72 knots. Damage to roofs...shingles and fences was seen in western Colorado Springs and over 2,600 homes lost power for between 2 and 6 hours. Beulah...in western Pueblo county had a peak wind gust of 64 knots. A few mobile homes in Williamsburg in Fremont county were rolled over and a few people had minor injuries. Around 1,100 customers lost power in Pueblo for an hour. Two mobile homes in transit on Interstate 25 were…
- Jul 26, 2008Flash Flood$75,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rain caused extreme runoff which undermined and washed away three sections of Copper Gulch Road. Around a dozen motorists were stranded on the road as 4 to 6 feet of water was running across the road. Seven miles of the road was closed during the cleanup and repair. There were no injuries.
- Aug 1, 1996Flash Flood$40,000
National Weather Service narrative
In 20 minutes, 1 1/2 inches of rain fell and washed out Copper Gulch Road, washing one vehicle off the road into Copper Gulch. The vehicle and two uninjured passengers were washed downstream for one mile. The roadway received damage from the wall of mud and water.
- Jun 28, 2002Lightning$30,000
National Weather Service narrative
A double wide mobile home was struck by lightning and caught fire. Two occupants fled the mobile home, which was totally destroyed.
- Jul 31, 2012Flash Flood$30,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rain caused flash flooding south of Florence. The normally dry Mineral Creek flooded and undermined a bridge on State Highway 67, 5 miles south of Florence. The bridge had to be rebuilt. The road was reopened August 26th.
- Jul 26, 2006Lightning$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
A house was struck by lightning, but smoke and water damage was mainly confined to the attic area and a small portion of the house.
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Canon City, 2.4 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1893.
- All-time high
- 107°FJul 11, 1954
- All-time low
- −30°FFeb 12, 1905
- Warmest night
- 78°FAug 20, 1930
- Coldest day
- −7°FFeb 5, 1989
- Wettest day
- 4.31 inMay 31, 1894
- Snowiest day
- 22.5 inFeb 21, 1997
- Hottest year
- 1934mean 58.0°F
- Coldest year
- 1993mean 50.7°F
- Wettest year
- 195722.63 in
- Driest year
- 19625.11 in
- Snowiest season
- 77.4 in1996-97
Median first snow
November 10
Earliest: September 9, 2020
Median last snow
April 18
Latest: May 22, 2022
0 of 86 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Canon City (USC00051294), 5,378 ft elevation, 2.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 97.1% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
15 since 1953. The most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, March 28, 2020.
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4498-CO |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3436-CO |
| Jul 16, 2015 | Flood | DR-4229-CO |
| Sep 14, 2013 | Flood | DR-4145-CO |
| Sep 12, 2013 | Flood | EM-3365-CO |
| Jul 26, 2013 | Fire | DR-4133-CO |
| Jun 11, 2013 | Fire | FM-5028-CO |
| Jun 16, 2011 | Fire | FM-2923-CO |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | EM-3224-CO |
| Apr 9, 2003 | Snowstorm | EM-3185-CO |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | DR-1421-CO |
| Jun 2, 2002 | Fire | FM-2410-CO |
| May 17, 1999 | Severe Storm | DR-1276-CO |
| Jan 29, 1977 | Drought | EM-3025-CO |
| Jun 19, 1965 | Tornado | DR-200-CO |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
How this compares
Where Fremont County stands among 64 counties in Colorado and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 9 | 32 / 64 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 0 | — |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 31,493 | 29 / 64 |
| Flood insurance claims | 72 | 12 / 64 |
| Flood insurance paid | $344,000 | 15 / 64 |
| Disaster declarations | 15 | 6 / 64 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 70 | 9 / 64 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 174 | 32 / 64 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 162 | 29 / 64 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $8.3 million | 27 / 64 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 2 | 5 / 64 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 168 | 31 / 64 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 11.9 | 40 / 64 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 1 | 41 / 64 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 8 | 10 / 64 |
Neighbouring counties
| Chaffee County | 1 | 0 |
| Custer County | 9 | 0 |
| El Paso County | 97 | 0 |
| Park County | 10 | 0 |
| Pueblo County | 21 | 0 |
| Saguache County | 7 | 0 |
| Teller County | 13 | 0 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00051294.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Volcanoes USGS Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. volcanoes and 2018 threat assessment.
- Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.