Forecasters were using the most dire language possible Friday to characterize the extremely dangerous fire threat in parts of the foothills of Colorado and Wyoming.
“This is a particularly dangerous situation that poses a serious threat to life and property if a wildfire occurs,” the so-called PDS red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service offices in Boulder, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, says.
This is the first PDS red flag warning issued in Colorado. The rare warning is in effect for parts of the state’s foothills, including parts of Boulder and Jefferson counties and Laramie County, Wyoming.
“Residents are urged to stock up on emergency supplies and know their evacuation routes,” the warning said. “In some cases, if a fire approaches, safe and timely evacuation may not be possible.”
⚠️Particularly dangerous situations Fire weather ⚠️
We rarely issue red flag warnings for these particularly dangerous conditions regarding the potential for rapidly spreading wildfires in and immediately adjacent to the foothills of Boulder/Jefferson County. Be prepared to act quickly. #COwx pic.twitter.com/ckylzJAVxQ— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) December 19, 2025
The alert warns of extreme and unusual wildfire behavior, including rapid wildfire spread, for wildfires that have started in a combination of extremely strong winds, extremely dry air, and record warmth.
Winds will continue to blow between 45 and 55 mph, with gusts potentially exceeding 160 mph, which alone can be destructive.
Public safety power outages will be implemented Friday morning for approximately 70,000 XCEL energy customers in Colorado due to concerns that destructive winds could down power lines and start fires. Another severe storm occurred on Wednesday, and some residents are still without power due to public safety power outages.
The Storm Prediction Center also raised its fire weather forecast for the region to the most severe level, the very dangerous level 3/3, on Friday.
The critical region is home to more than 600,000 people, including people in Fort Collins and Boulder, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Winds have eased in the Level 2/3 Severe Fire Weather Zone, which spans much of Interstate 25 and the adjacent foothills of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, but very dry air and dry fuels mean fires can still spread quickly here.
Dry conditions may continue into the evening, potentially extending the period of hazardous fire weather conditions across the region.
