Colorado on Fire
A geospatial analysis of the reach and effects of both the 2020 Cameron Peak fire and 2012 High Park fire in Larimer County, Colorado.
The Cameron Peak and High Park fires were two of Colorado’s largest wildfires, both burning in Larimer County (3). The Cameron Peak fire burned in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests from August 13, 2020 to December 2, 2020 and the High Park fire burned in the Poudre River watershed from June 9, 2012 to June 30, 2012 (1,2). Despite their different timelines, both devastated water and air quality, ecosystem services, infrastructure, and human livelihoods in Larimer County (1,2).
The Cameron Peak fire burned a total of 208,760 acres. The total area burned by the High Park fire was 87,306 acres, making the total area burned between the fires 296,066 acres. There were 2,610 acres of overlap between the two fires.
Different types of land were impacted by each fire. The tables below show the percentage of each land cover type within both the Cameron Peak and High Park fires.
The breakdown of land cover type that was burned during the Cameron Peak Fire (left) and the High Park Fire (right).
You can use the slide to explore land cover classifications for the Cameron Peak Fire. On the left side is the land cover classification data for August of 2019--before the fire, and on the right side is the land cover classification data for August 2021--after the fire.
You can use the slide to explore land cover classifications for the High Park Fire. On the left side is the land cover classification data for June of 2011--before the fire, and on the right side is the land cover classification data for June of 2013--after the fire.
The long-lasting ecological response to a fire is largely shaped by the soil burn severity, which measures the change in soil properties through a combination of measurements from pre-fire ground cover, land cover type, and the intensity at which vegetation was burned during the fire (4). The categorization of land into unburned, low, moderate, and high soil burn severity categories can help predict post-fire floods, erosion, and regrowth (4).
Unburned
Unburned land was not touched by either fire. It has completely intact suface level organic matter, topsoil, and roots.
Low
Land categorized as “low” burn severity has scattered charred patches of land with generally intact topsoil, and surface-level roots are unburned (4).
Moderate
Land categorized as “moderate” burn severity has most of its surface burned and covered in black ash, with smaller, surface-level roots being killed and the topsoil’s ability to absorb moisture being comfortable (4).
High
Land categorized as “high” burn severity has no pre-fire organic above-soil layers remaining, with white ash coating the land surface (4). Both large tree roots deep in the soil and smaller surface-level roots have been burned and killed, and the topsoil has been completely compromised–loose, grainy, and incapable of retaining moisture (4).
The Cameron Peak Fire burned the soil more severly than the High Park fire. While the Cameron Peak fire had only 30% of its burn area left unburned, almost 55% of its burn area was categorized with either "moderate" or "high" burn severity.
Measuring soil burn severity is important when determining post-fire ecological patterns because it shows how well the soil retains moisture (4). The ability of soil to retain moisture and clump together allows for vegetative growth as well as flood and erosion control (4).
The High Park Fire had only .01% of its land left unburned. However, less than 1% of the land showed a high soil burn severity. 99% of the burn area of the High Park fire was categorized as either "low" or "moderate" burn severity.
The High Park Fire burning near Fort Collins, CO.
The breakdown of soil burn severity into acres squared for the Cameron Peak Fire (left) and the High Park Fire (right).
Both the Cameron Peak and High Park fires have impacted wildlife throughout Colorado. The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Colorado’s state mammal, is one of the species affected. At the start of the 1900s, these sheep were nearing extinction in Colorado, however, populations have been on the rise since the creation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation as well as increased protected habitat and lower population disturbances by hunting (5). These sheep can be seen climbing canyon cliffs across the state and beyond (5).
The overlap of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep habitat in Larimer County, CO and the burn areas of both the Cameron Peak and High Park fires.
There are 314,912.2 total acres occupied by bighorn sheep in Larimer County. Larimer County bighorn sheep habitat overlapped with 17.3% (51,624.4 acres) of the total burn area of the High Park and Cameron Peak fires.
For both the High Park and Cameron Peak fires, the majority of the Rocky Mountian Bighorn Sheep habitat had a low soil burn severity.
Large wildfires “change the course a river takes, erode its banks, disrupt biological processes, and fill reservoirs with excess nutrients and sediment” (6). Changing water chemistry and stream flow impact vegetation growth, soil health, and water supply–both to surrounding vegetation and for human and industry consumption (6).
The streams and rivers impacted by the High Park and Cameron Peak fires. Use the map to explore!
Overall, both the Cameron Peak and High Park fires--like the many other large fires that have happend in Colorado's history--have had a profound effect on both the ecological systems and human systems where they burned. Classifying land ownership and type, measuring soil burn severity, and studying burn scar overlap with wildlife habitat and water systems are just a few of the many ways we can quantify and analyze the impacts of major fires.
This Story Map was created by Madeleine Boyles at Colorado State University for their Introduction to Geographic Information Systems class final lab project.
