Quick Read
- Regional smoke from wildfires in Nebraska is currently causing hazy conditions and air quality concerns across Northern Colorado.
- Poudre Fire Authority units remain on high alert after responding to two minor, non-threatening fires near Horsetooth Reservoir on Friday morning.
- Larimer County is under persistent red flag warnings through March 14 due to high winds and dry conditions, following earlier evacuations near LaPorte.
Residents across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado woke up on Friday, March 13, 2026, to hazy skies and the distinct smell of smoke, a phenomenon the National Weather Service (NWS) in Boulder has attributed to large wildfires currently burning in Nebraska. The smoke, pushed westward by regional winds, has significantly reduced visibility and degraded air quality across the Front Range.
Regional Smoke Impacts on Fort Collins Air Quality
The NWS confirmed that the haze blanketing the region is primarily the result of out-of-state fire activity. While the smoke has raised concerns among local residents, authorities are emphasizing that the current air quality issues are largely an import from neighboring states. Meteorologists continue to monitor the plume as wind patterns shift across the region.
Poudre Fire Authority Monitors Local Incidents
In addition to the regional smoke, the Poudre Fire Authority responded to two small, localized wildfires west of Horsetooth Reservoir early Friday morning. The fires, located near the 4900 block of Hilltop Drive, did not threaten any structures. Officials reported that they released several units shortly after an initial assessment, though crews remain on alert due to the ongoing dry conditions.
High Wind Risk and Red Flag Warnings
The smoke arrival coincides with a period of extreme fire danger in Larimer County. A red flag warning was in effect for much of March 13 and is expected to continue through March 14. Forecasters have warned of high temperatures and low humidity, compounded by gusty winds that reached up to 51.6 mph at the Colorado State University weather station on March 12. These conditions follow a brief, localized emergency on March 12, when mandatory evacuations were issued for a fire near Terry Lake and LaPorte, affecting over 2,400 residents before being successfully lifted by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
The confluence of regional wildfire smoke and persistent red flag conditions underscores the volatility of the current weather pattern in Northern Colorado, where extreme wind gusts continue to complicate fire suppression efforts and maintain elevated risk levels for local emergency services.