Montrose Interagency Dispatch Area
Montrose - High Elevation
Saturday, September 19
Today's Fire Danger is ModerateWhere Is This Area?
The Montrose - High Elevation Fire Danger Rating Area , spanning parts of Gunnison, Saguache, San Miguel, Hinsdale, Chaffee, Pitkin, Mesa, Delta, Ouray, Montrose, San Juan, Mineral, Dolores counties.
Communities in this area include: Gunnison, Telluride, Crested Butte, Ouray, Lake City, Mountain Village, Mount Crested Butte, Placerville. Rating areas are grouped by fire environment — elevation, fuels, and climate — not by town, so your community may sit in an area named for a different place.
Overview
Moderate fire danger holds across the Montrose (High Elevation) area today, with dry mid-level fuels the main driver rather than any single extreme factor.
- Week-ahead outlook stays Moderate through Sept. 25, as ERC drifts up from 55% to 64% while fuels slowly dry.
- Light 7–11 mph NE/ENE winds and a stray afternoon shower today keep fire behavior in check.
- 0 of 7 local watch-out thresholds are met, and no Red Flag Warning is posted for the area.
- Montrose County lifted its Stage 1 fire restrictions for unincorporated areas effective September 16, 2026.
- Gunnison County is not currently under fire restrictions as of September 18, 2026.
- Nearby, the Elk Fire near Lake City (Hinsdale County) sits at 7,257 acres, 73% contained, with full containment estimated Oct. 31.
FEMS / NFDRS via BeWildfireAwareNational Weather Serviceweather.gov
NICC Incident Management Situation Reportnifc.gov
All Fire Restrictions Have Been Lifted in Montrose Countyeinpresswire.com
Emergency Response Services | Fire Restrictionsemergency.gunnisoncounty.org
Pocket Card
Today's Conditions
0 of 7 local thresholds met today
Weather & Air Quality
Local Thresholds
ERC > 90%, BI > 90%, Wind Speed > 15 Max Temp > 86, Min Rh < 25, 1000hr Fuels < 12, Max RH < 55 If three or more of the seven thresholds are met, consider it a watchout.
High Elevation FDRA Extended Forecast
| Indicator | 19-Sep | 20-Sep | 21-Sep | 22-Sep | 23-Sep | 24-Sep | 25-Sep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective Fire Danger Danger | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| ERC-Y Percentile ERC % | 55% | 58% | 61% | 61% | 61% | 64% | 64% |
| BI-Y Percentile BI % | 58% | 66% | 64% | 60% | 56% | 60% | 58% |
| Temperature Temp | 62 | 61 | 63 | 59 | 57 | 59 | 58 |
| Relative Humidity Min RH | 38 | 26 | 19 ▲ | 35 | 41 | 41 | 43 |
| Winds Wind | 9 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Wind Direction Wind Dir | ENE | NNE | NE | NE | ENE | ENE | NE |
| Precipitation 24hr rain Rain | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.10 |
| 1000hr Fuels 1000-hr Fuels | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
| Max Rh Max RH | 93 | 71 | 57 | 60 | 72 | 68 | 69 |
| ERC-Y (Actual Number 1-66) ERC | 21.4 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 28 |
| BI-Y (Actual Number 1-52) BI | 18 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 |
Fires to Remember
| Fire | Discovery Date | ERC | BI | Temp | Rh | Winds | 1000-Hr | Fire Danger | Max Rh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Line Fire | 7/26/2023 | 91% | 88% | 82 | 15 | 7 | 12 | Very High | 61 |
| Gold Mountain fire | 6/27/2026 | 94% | 100% | 73 | 12 | 22 | 11 | Very High | 73 |
| Elk Fire | 7/9/2026 | 97% | 97% | 77 | 16 | 15 | 11 | Extreme | 65 |
Local Fire Information
The High Elevation Fire Danger Rating Area uses the following Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) which are equally weighted in value, using Fuel Model Y (Timber) incorporating data years 2005-2024 are: Huntsman (52813), Lujan (54702), Needle Creek (54704), Taylor Park (52812)
If you are interested in having this data emailed to you daily as a PDF, please email: 38north.llc@gmail.com