Lake County Office of Emergency Management

08/29/2026

Important reminder! Enjoy your weekend exploring everywhere else that Lake County has to offer!

08/21/2026

All of Lake County has moved into Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. See below for more info!

Bookmark this page to check current conditions and restrictions. https://www.lakecountyco.gov/552/Fire-Danger-Restriction-Information

FIRE RESTRICTIONS REDUCED TO STAGE 1 IN LAKE COUNTY

Sheriff Heath Speckman is moving Lake County from Stage 2 Fire Restrictions to Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in coordination with our partners at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This change is effective today, August 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

While recent weather and fuel conditions have improved, wildfire danger remains present, and everyone is asked to continue using extreme caution with any activity that could spark a fire.

✅ WHAT IS ALLOWED UNDER STAGE 1 RESTRICTIONS
• Campfires are allowed ONLY in permanently constructed fire grates or fire pits in developed recreation sites.
• Portable stoves, grills, and lanterns fueled by propane, pressurized liquid fuel, or gas may be used.
• To use Spark-Producing Equipment:
- Must have a spark arrestor on internal combustions engines
- Must have a ten (10) foot area cleared of all combustible materials
- Must have a fire extinguisher or water source immediately available
• Smoking is allowed only:
- Inside an enclosed vehicle
- Inside a building
- In an area cleared of all flammable materials with a minimum radius of three (3) feet

❌ WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED
🚫Open Fires are prohibited except as permitted above. This includes campfires at dispersed camping sites or outside developed campground fire grates (a rock ring is NOT an approved fire grate).
🚫Open burning, burn barrels, and other unauthorized open flames.
🚫Fireworks of any kind (fireworks are prohibited year-round on federal public lands).
🚫Tracer or incendiary am******on.

PLEASE HELP PREVENT HUMAN-CAUSED WILDFIRES

Even though restrictions have been reduced, one escaped fire can have devastating consequences for our community, firefighters, visitors, wildlife, and public lands. Before leaving a campfire, make sure it is dead out: drown it, stir it, and feel for heat. If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave.

We appreciate the cooperation of residents and visitors as we continue working together to protect Lake County's forests and community.

08/21/2026

If you are planning to visit the this weekend, be on the lookout for runners competing in the Leadville Trail 100 Run on Saturday, August 22.

Expect increased traffic and delays around Turquoise Lake Road and campgrounds as well as the Twin Lakes Village. Forest Service or county roads in the area may have more congestion than usual.

For more information about the race, visit https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/run/leadvilletrail100run/

08/20/2026

Halfmoon Road and Hagerman Pass are now open! The Fish Hatchery remains closed.

08/20/2026

🚗 Vehicle Donations Needed for Firefighter Extrication Training 🚒

Your local fire department is looking for vehicles to be donated for an upcoming vehicle-extrication class.

These vehicles provide invaluable hands-on training for current and future firefighters, allowing them to practice the lifesaving skills needed to safely remove patients trapped after serious crashes.

If you have an unwanted vehicle you may be willing to donate, please contact us for additional information. Vehicle condition does not matter, but proof of ownership will be required.

Your donation will directly support firefighter training and help us better serve our community when it matters most.

Please share this post to help us spread the word!

08/19/2026

08/17/2026

Go Sheriff Speckman! 🏆

08/14/2026

Lake County Residents,

We're still here for you, no matter how much time has passed.

If the Willow Fire affected your home, your health, your daily life, your property, or your peace of mind, we want to hear from you.
Even if the impact seems small. Even if you're not sure it "counts."
There's no wrong reason to reach out.

We recently hosted a community event to connect with residents in person.
We also understand that a public event isn't always the easiest or most comfortable place to talk about what you experienced.
That's why we're providing another way to reach us.

Lake County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is collecting information about impacts from the Willow Fire and helping connect residents with available resources.
If you haven't reported an impact, aren't sure who to contact, or simply haven't had the opportunity to tell someone what happened, please reach out.

And you don't have to start with OEM.

If you're more comfortable talking with Lake County Public Health , Human Services, the Sheriff's Office, or another Lake County department or staff member you already know and trust, that's okay too. Our county agencies are working together, and our goal is to make sure your experience is heard and your needs are identified.

Some of the things we want to hear about include:
- Smoke impacts to your home or property
- Being displaced or needing temporary assistance
- Roads, access routes, or other infrastructure that were affected
- Fire-damaged or weakened trees that may now present a hazard
- Medical, disability, mobility, or accessibility needs that made evacuation or recovery more difficult
- Financial, business, agricultural, or other impacts caused by the fire
- Other impacts that may not be obvious from the outside
- You don't need paperwork.
- You don't need to have the "right" words.
- And you don't need to know exactly what kind of assistance you may need.

Tell us what happened and how the Willow Fire affected you.
We'll help figure out the next step together.

There's another important reason we need to hear from you...
Recovery isn't only about what we can see on a map or from the road.
Your experiences help us build an accurate picture of what the Willow Fire actually did to our community.
That information helps Lake County and our state and federal partners understand the full impact of the fire, identify unmet needs, and determine what recovery resources may be available.

Your experience matters - and it helps us tell the whole story of the Willow Fire.
Share your experience directly with Lake County OEM.
Anonymous submissions are an option!

Or reach out to Lake County Public Health, Human Services, the Sheriff's Office, or another Lake County agency you feel comfortable contacting.
If you know a neighbor who was affected and may not have reached out, please share this information with them.

Sometimes the impacts we don't know about are the ones we most need to hear about.

We're listening.

- Lake County Office of Emergency Management
[email protected]

Lake County Department of Human Services Lake County Sheriffs Office Lake County Public Health Agency Lake County, CO Government

08/13/2026

UPDATE - August 13 1530 - The underground 'Resurrection Fire' has been completely extinguished. Leadville/Lake County Fire Rescue would like to remind everyone to continue to stay out of the area, and not to explore underground spaces due to the high risk of collapse.

There is no official cause as of now.
Thank you - stay safe!

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August 13 1030 - Lake County OEM is monitoring a small wildfire burning underground, located near the Mineral Belt Trail, northeast of E 12th St.

Fire crews are on scene.

Please avoid this area to allow responders to work safely and to keep access clear for fire apparatus.

We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

08/13/2026

Smoke Update - Willow Fire Burn Scar

Lake County residents and visitors will continue to notice occasional, isolated smoke and smoke columns in the Willow Fire burn scar area over the coming weeks and months. This is expected and normal - it's coming from smoldering material (stumps, root systems, and heavy fuels) within the containment zone, not new fire growth.

There is currently a federal Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team with boots on the ground at the Willow Fire burn scar. They will spend ten days assessing the damage and evaluating the landscapes right after a wildfire to find urgent threats to human life, property, and nature. This group of experts measure soil damage and water risks, then build fast fixes like mulch or bigger drainage pipes before heavy rains cause floods.

Additionally, a USFS Type 4 Incident Management Team is mopping up and monitoring the Willow Fire daily.

We do not expect the Willow Fire containment percentage to increase quickly, as the remaining uncontained portion is slowly burning itself out into rock fields, and are completely inaccessible by crews. This smoke will persist until we get sustained, significant snowfall.

Please call 911 if you see:
- New flames or fire growth outside the containment/burn scar area
- Fire in a location you haven't seen it before

For general questions about ongoing smoke or air quality, please check OEM's Willow Fire Page - lakecountyco.gov/599/Willow-Fire before calling 911. This keeps Dispatch and first responders available for real emergencies.

We know the smoke is unwelcome, especially after everything the community has been through. Our teams and cooperating agencies continue to monitor the burn scar, local conditions, and fuel moisture daily. We'll keep you updated as things evolve.

Effective August 12 2026, Fire Danger levels have been reduced to 'High' (down from Very High) with Stage 2 restrictions still in effect. Please continue to follow burn bans, and stay updated here - lakecountyco.gov/552/Fire-Danger-Restriction-Information