Red Flag Warning Issued for Southern Front Range Foothills Through Monday Evening

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert replaces a previously issued Fire Weather Watch for the region and remains in effect until 6:00 PM MST this evening.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts Fire Weather Zone 216, which includes the following specific locations:

• Jefferson and West Douglas Counties: Areas above 6,000 feet.
• Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Northeast Park Counties: Areas below 9,000 feet.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are urged to take the following precautions:

• Avoid all outdoor burning.
• Refrain from any activity that may produce a spark, such as using outdoor machinery or discarding cigarettes, which could ignite a wildfire.
• Prepare for the possibility of rapid fire behavior and follow any instructions from local emergency management.

Expected Conditions

Weather conditions in the Southern Front Range Foothills are expected to be conducive to extreme fire behavior:

• Winds: Southwest winds sustained between 20 to 30 mph, with gusts reaching up to 50 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 10 percent.
• Impacts: The combination of strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures will facilitate the rapid spread of any fires that start.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective immediately and is scheduled to expire at 6:00 PM MST on Monday, February 16, 2026. Extremely critical fire weather conditions also remain possible into Tuesday.