Gold Mountain Fire

Ouray County, Colorado · Wildfire

Active Official numbers updated Aug 31, 2026 (3 days ago)
First reported about 2 months ago
Metric Now
Size
39,744 acres
Sep 2, 12:00 PM
+10 acres
was 39,734 acres · Aug 29, 6:00 PM
Containment
92%
Sep 2, 12:00 PM
+5 percent
was 87% · Aug 30, 7:00 PM
Crew size
79
Sep 2, 12:00 PM
−8
was 87 · Aug 30, 7:00 PM
Money spent
$64.5M
Sep 2, 12:00 PM
+$208,656
was $64.3M · Aug 30, 7:00 PM

Gold Mountain Fire and other nearby fires

🔥 Where this fire started Mostly contained Partly contained Containment not reported

Drag or zoom the map to see more fires in the area.

Gold Mountain Fire summary

The Gold Mountain Fire is a wildfire near Ouray County, Colorado. It has burned about 39,744 acres (about 30,000 football fields). Crews have boxed in 92% of its edge; the other 8% isn't contained yet. It was first reported about 2 months ago. About 79 people are on it, run by a Type 3 IC. We're also tracking 5 other active fires within about 75 miles.

Size
39,744 acres
Containment
92%
Discovered
June 27, 2026 (first reported about 2 months ago)
Cause
Not reported

The size and containment above are current as of Wednesday, September 2nd at 12:00 p.m. CDT.

Weather & fire-spread conditions

No Red Flag Warning. The National Weather Service hasn't flagged this area for dangerous fire-spread conditions right now.

Hot, dry, and windy weather can help a fire grow; cool, calm, or wet weather helps crews. The tags below rate each day for fire spread — green is calm, red can push a fire.

A general fire-weather guide (wind matters most, then how dry it is, then heat), not a prediction of what this fire will do.

Today

66°F · Sunny

Wind 10 mph SSW · 5% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Dry

Tonight

49°F · Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Clear

Wind 10 to 15 mph SSE · 14% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Dry

Thursday

68°F · Sunny

Wind 5 to 10 mph S · 3% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Dry

Thursday Night

49°F · Mostly Clear

Wind 10 to 15 mph S · 6% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Dry

Friday

68°F · Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind 5 to 10 mph SSW · 29% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Some rain

Forecast from the National Weather Service (weather.gov), pulled Wednesday, September 2nd at 12:00 p.m. CDT.

Who's on it

About 79 people are assigned to this fire, run by a Type 3 IC. The government rates it a Type 3 Incident. About $65 million has been spent on it so far.

The official feed reports the total headcount, not a breakdown by crew type.

Where to get live updates

We show the daily official picture. For minute-by-minute updates, evacuation orders, and maps, these do it best:

Nearby fires to Gold Mountain Fire

Within about 75 miles we're tracking 5 other active fires, closest first:

See all active fires in Colorado →

A wildland firefighter in a white helmet and yellow shirt sits on a grassy slope above a forested mountain valley

The guy who wrote this site, on a break. Summer 2026.

Wildland firefighting is a great job for the right person.

No college. No experience needed. You learn on the job.

Who fits:

Jobs in all 50 states, most of them out West. Most crews hire in fall and winter for the next summer. Colorado has 9 open right now, 2 for beginners. See them.

Know someone who fits?

Send them a link to woodlandfirefighter.com. It explains the job and how to get hired.

Want to talk to a real wildland firefighter?

I spent summer 2026 on a Forest Service crew in Montana. Happy to answer any questions. 30-minute call, $37.

Book a 30-minute call

Drop your email. Get the free guide.

Inside: the pay breakdown, a resume template, a training plan for the fitness (pack) test, and the hiring timeline.

100% free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.