Hayman Fire

The Hayman Fire was a forest fire that started on June 8, 2002, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Denver, Colorado, and was contained on June 28, 2002. For nearly two decades, it was the largest wildfire in the state's recorded history, burning over 138,114 acres. Hundreds of firefighters participated in fighting the fire, which cost nearly $40 million. The fire burned 133 homes and forced the evacuation of 5,340 people. Smoke could be seen and smelled across the state from Vail, 55 miles (89 km) northwest, to Burlington, 188 miles (303 km) east, and from Broomfield, 50 miles (80 km) north, to Walsenburg, 130 miles (210 km) south. The fire was classified as contained on June 28, 2002. The cause was later determined to be arson. When a reporter asked then-Governor Bill Owens about the view of the fires from above, he said, "It looks as if all of Colorado is burning today." Many western slope residents blamed Owens for driving away tourists with the press' truncated version of the quote ("All of Colorado is burning.") The Hayman fire was named for a mining ghost town near Tappan Gulch.