Surveying a sprawling map of the northern San Juans last week, Mike Smith was deep in a geometry of fire. Fingers tracing fire lines and ridges, Smith – the current incident commander over Gold Mounta...

Federal program could offer nearly $3 million — if cash-poor leaders can find matching dollars Ouray County could receive nearly $3 million in federal funding to protect homes, roads and other infrast...

An experienced firefighting pilot who was pulling water from Silver Jack Reservoir to battle the Gold Mountain Fire died Sunday when his helicopter plunged into the reservoir northeast of Ridgway. Nic...

Hotshot Jesse Eaves calls it “The Great Race.” At the small tent city along U.S. Highway 550, Eaves starts each day with a 5 a.m. wakeup call. Thus begins an eight-minute sprint for him and his Califo...

Editor's note: This story has been changed to correctly indicate the change in the team overseeing the fire response. The pilot who died when his aircraft went down in Silver Jack Reservoir Sunday was...

Residents forced to flee the Gold Mountain Fire north of Ouray nearly two weeks ago returned to charred landscapes but fully intact homes Wednesday, an indication that authorities believe the threat h...

A scaled-back Fourth of July celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States and 150th birthday of Ouray attracted thousands to the city, despite the cancellation of fireworks, water fights and...

The U.S. Forest Service this afternoon expanded the closure area in the Uncompahgre National Forest east of Ridgway, as the Gold Mountain Fire makes another big run. The original closure largely encom...

A wildfire that started as a wisp of smoke on a cliffside just north of Ouray last weekend exploded to more than 15,000 acres by Wednesday, driven by winds north to the Cimarron Range east of Ridgway....

Fourth of July events in Ouray will be scaled back this year in response to the Gold Mountain Fire, with the July 3 fire department benefit concert and the Independence Day parade and kids’ games a go...

UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: Firefighters battling the 7,100-acre Gold Mountain Fire on the ground and in the air are focused on preventing the blaze from crossing County Road 14A. Fire crews consider that road...

Dottie Miller hopped online on Friday, running over checklists of items to take with her in the event of an emergency. It’s practically an annual ritual for her, just to make sure she has everything s...

The city of Ouray has canceled its Fourth of July fireworks display in light of dangerous fire conditions. Brooke Warren, a spokeswoman for the city, said this morning Fire Chief Adam Kunz made the de...

Ouray County and southwestern Colorado are under a red flag warning until 10 p.m. today, as forecasters this morning warned gusty winds and low humidity will create dangerous fire weather conditions. ...

Click here to read the NEW, UPDATED STORY POSTED AT 10:20 a.m. Sunday, June 28 here. UPDATE, 11:16 p.m.: A pre-evacuation notice has been issued for County Road 17 from Whispering Pines to Black Lake....

Ouray County voters likely will be asked this fall to approve a use tax on both new vehicle purchases and construction material purchases, with most of the tax dollars going to the county’s Road and B...

Home insurance experts say the proposed consolidation of fire and emergency services in Ouray County may not necessarily help homeowners gain and keep insurance coverage. Leaders of the possible conso...

Ouray County will control the prairie dog population at the 4-H Event Center and Fairgrounds. Ouray County Manager Antonio Mendez said he has yet to decide on a method, but that the end goal is contro...

The sudden removal of most of the free weights from the fitness center at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool has angered members who say the city eliminated one of the primary reasons they work out there. Cit...