Out of 64 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 64 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 26/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 603 |
Top 64 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson | Colorado | 43/100 | 3 | 34 |
| 2 | Mesa | Colorado | 38/100 | 82 | 19 |
| 3 | El Paso | Colorado | 38/100 | 9 | 67 |
| 4 | Teller | Colorado | 37/100 | 10 | 7 |
| 5 | Larimer | Colorado | 35/100 | 25 | 24 |
| 6 | Montezuma | Colorado | 35/100 | 21 | 7 |
| 7 | La Plata | Colorado | 35/100 | 14 | 8 |
| 8 | Archuleta | Colorado | 35/100 | 14 | 3 |
| 9 | Las Animas | Colorado | 34/100 | 4 | 6 |
| 10 | Garfield | Colorado | 33/100 | 34 | 8 |
| 11 | Rio Blanco | Colorado | 33/100 | 28 | 2 |
| 12 | Boulder | Colorado | 33/100 | 24 | 33 |
| 13 | Fremont | Colorado | 33/100 | 12 | 8 |
| 14 | Custer | Colorado | 33/100 | 12 | 3 |
| 15 | Montrose | Colorado | 33/100 | 9 | 10 |
| 16 | Pueblo | Colorado | 33/100 | 7 | 17 |
| 17 | Delta | Colorado | 33/100 | 4 | 8 |
| 18 | Huerfano | Colorado | 32/100 | 4 | 5 |
| 19 | Moffat | Colorado | 28/100 | 47 | 6 |
| 20 | Park | Colorado | 28/100 | 10 | 8 |
| 21 | Otero | Colorado | 28/100 | 5 | 6 |
| 22 | Ouray | Colorado | 28/100 | 3 | 2 |
| 23 | Dolores | Colorado | 27/100 | 21 | 5 |
| 24 | Prowers | Colorado | 27/100 | 6 | 6 |
| 25 | Baca | Colorado | 27/100 | 5 | 6 |
| 26 | Weld | Colorado | 26/100 | 24 | 38 |
| 27 | Chaffee | Colorado | 26/100 | 12 | 10 |
| 28 | Bent | Colorado | 26/100 | 6 | 3 |
| 29 | Grand | Colorado | 26/100 | 4 | 8 |
| 30 | Summit | Colorado | 26/100 | 3 | 5 |
| 31 | Broomfield | Colorado | 26/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 32 | Denver | Colorado | 26/100 | 0 | 55 |
| 33 | Routt | Colorado | 25/100 | 47 | 11 |
| 34 | Adams | Colorado | 25/100 | 24 | 28 |
| 35 | Douglas | Colorado | 25/100 | 7 | 13 |
| 36 | Kiowa | Colorado | 25/100 | 5 | 4 |
| 37 | Arapahoe | Colorado | 25/100 | 1 | 31 |
| 38 | Clear Creek | Colorado | 25/100 | 1 | 5 |
| 39 | Eagle | Colorado | 24/100 | 10 | 13 |
| 40 | Elbert | Colorado | 24/100 | 2 | 6 |
| 41 | Costilla | Colorado | 24/100 | 1 | 7 |
| 42 | Jackson | Colorado | 23/100 | 8 | 3 |
| 43 | Gilpin | Colorado | 23/100 | 1 | 2 |
| 44 | Lake | Colorado | 23/100 | 1 | 3 |
| 45 | Logan | Colorado | 23/100 | 1 | 9 |
| 46 | Morgan | Colorado | 23/100 | 1 | 7 |
| 47 | Yuma | Colorado | 22/100 | 6 | 5 |
| 48 | Lincoln | Colorado | 22/100 | 2 | 9 |
| 49 | San Miguel | Colorado | 22/100 | 2 | 4 |
| 50 | Crowley | Colorado | 22/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 51 | Mineral | Colorado | 22/100 | 0 | 1 |
| 52 | Pitkin | Colorado | 21/100 | 2 | 6 |
| 53 | Phillips | Colorado | 21/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 54 | San Juan | Colorado | 21/100 | 0 | 1 |
| 55 | Gunnison | Colorado | 20/100 | 4 | 12 |
| 56 | Sedgwick | Colorado | 20/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 57 | Kit Carson | Colorado | 19/100 | 6 | 10 |
| 58 | Washington | Colorado | 19/100 | 1 | 3 |
| 59 | Saguache | Colorado | 18/100 | 3 | 5 |
| 60 | Hinsdale | Colorado | 17/100 | 1 | 1 |
| 61 | Cheyenne | Colorado | 16/100 | 1 | 3 |
| 62 | Rio Grande | Colorado | 16/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 63 | Conejos | Colorado | 14/100 | 2 | 6 |
| 64 | Alamosa | Colorado | 14/100 | 1 | 3 |
Methodology
County rankings for Colorado based on average smoke risk score and fire frequency.
Data sources: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), EPA AirNow. Last updated: 2026-06-04.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is wildfire smoke risk calculated?
Smoke risk scores (0-100) combine multiple factors: proximity to recent wildfires, county fire frequency over the past 5 years, historical smoke days, and geographic position relative to typical fire corridors. Higher scores indicate greater smoke exposure risk during fire season.
How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?
Use a HEPA air purifier indoors, wear N95 or KN95 masks outdoors during smoke events, seal windows and doors, and monitor AirNow.gov for real-time air quality. Create a clean room in your home with the purifier running and windows sealed.