Hayman Fire

The Hayman fire was a forest fire that started 95 miles (153 km) southwest of Denver, Colorado and 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Colorado Springs on June 8, 2002, and became the largest of the Colorado wildfires in the state's recorded history. Hundreds of firefighters fought the fast-moving fire, which caused nearly $40 million in firefighting costs, burned 133 homes, 138,114 acres, and forced the evacuation of 5,340 people. Smoke could be seen and smelled across the state from Vail, 108 miles (174 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 wasn't contained until July 2, 2002 and was finally brought under control on July 18, 2002. The cause of the wildfire was found to be arson.

When then-Governor Bill Owens responded to a reporter’s question following an aerial tour of the fires ("What does it look like up there?"), Owens said "It looks as if all of Colorado is burning today." Many western slope residents blamed Owens for driving away tourists with the press's truncated version of the quote ("All of Colorado is burning.") The Hayman fire was named for a mining ghost town near Tappan Gulch.