Wildfire — Yuma County, Colorado

2021-10-26 · Yuma County, Colorado

Event narrative

A combine sparked a fire in a cornfield near the intersection of County Road T and Highway 36, quickly spreading due to the strong winds gusting up to 60 mph. Volunteer fire fighters responded and began to control the fire when the winds shifted direction due to the cold front. The winds shifted the direction of the flames, killing one firefighter and sent another to the hospital due to burns.

Wider weather episode

Throughout the day, a cold front gradually moved into Eastern Colorado, causing wind speeds to increase throughout the afternoon with gusts up to 60 mph across Yuma and Kit Carson counties. During the early afternoon hours, a combine sparked a fire in a cornfield in southern Yuma County. The fire spread quickly due to the strong winds. The fire was contained; however, there was one fatality and one injury due to the flames.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 987044. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.