2002 was Colorado’s most destructive wildfire season. But 2012 is starting to set records of its own.
Firefighters had their hands full with what would be the state’s largest wildfire. The Hayman fire started June 8th and burned through July 18th southwest of Denver. It burned 137,760 acres, displaced 5,340 people and destroyed 133 homes.
The Missionary Ridge fire broke on June 9th, 2002 near Durango. It burned for 39 days before being contained on July 15th. It consumed 72,962 acres destroying 56 homes.
The Missionary Ridge fire and the Hayman fire were both human-caused.
The High Park fire west of Fort Collins was sparked by lighting and reported on June 9th, 2012. So far it has burned more than 43,433 acres. It's about 5% contained. More than 100 structures have been damaged or destroyed.
The Denver Post has put out an interactive timeline of Colorado's worst wildfires.
