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Larimer County officials warn record-low snowpack and surge in red-flag days heighten 2026 fire risk
Summary
County officials and the sheriff's Office of Emergency Management told the Board of County Commissioners that a record-low statewide snowpack (about 24% of median), an unusually high number of red-flag warnings and strained air and personnel resources have raised the county's wildfire risk; officials described early staffing, technology partnerships and a proposed faster fire-restriction authority.
Larimer County officials told the Board of County Commissioners on March 30 that 2026 is shaping up to be an unusually dangerous wildfire year, citing record-low snowpack, pervasive drought and an early surge in red-flag warnings.
"It is as grim as we think it is," Justin Weitzel, chief of emergency services for the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, told commissioners during a work session. He said statewide snowpack was "about 24% of the median average" as of the briefing and that the South Platte Basin — which encompasses Larimer County — was near 38% of median. Those figures, he said, combine with unusual winter warmth and low soil moisture to increase fire spread and extend post-containment mop-up times.
Weitzel said the county has already recorded 18 red-flag warnings this year in Zone 238 (the plains below 6,000 feet), a pace that exceeds totals from recent severe years. "We've already had 18 from January to today in Zone 238," he…
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