Denver, CO
Red flag fatigue? Colorado sees near-record number of critical fire days
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — If you feel like we’ve had a lot of red flag days across Colorado since the start of the year, you’re right.
According to our Denver7 weather team, there have been 369 red flag warnings across the state since the start of 2026, marking the second-highest number recorded to date since 2005. In 2023, there were 408 red flag warnings from Jan. 1 through April 22 of that year, according to Denver7 meteorologist Danielle Grant
A red flag day happens when warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds combine to create critical fire weather conditions.
▶️ WATCH: Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio talked red flag fatigue with residents and officials
Colorado sees second-highest number of red flag days since 2005
In Boulder County, officials say the frequency of these warnings in their area is breaking records, too.
“We’ve had 21 thus far since the beginning of 2026, and that number is almost as many as we’ve had in the previous years combined, 2024 and 2025,” said Vinnie Montez, a spokesperson for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
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With the high volume of alerts, Montez worries the frequent warnings will become white noise.
Denver7 asked him if there is some red flag fatigue in the community.
“When you see the same commercial come up over and over again, you’re kind of like, flip the channel, right? I think that can happen in what we’re messaging,” Montez said.
At Chautauqua Park in Boulder, residents are taking note of how often these days are happening.
“It’s almost every day,” Mac Whittington said.
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Levi Brown, a Boulder resident, pointed out that all the ingredients for high fire danger are present.
“You look around, there’s a lot of fuel in the ground, a lot of wind blowing right now, in fact,” Brown said.
For Brown, who has lived in the area for 26 years, every warning carries weight.
“It seems to be more prevalent now. And I don’t take it lightly,” Brown said.
For those who do not take the days seriously, Whittington offered a word of caution.
“Hopefully we don’t have to learn the lesson the hard way,” he said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Denver, CO
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Denver, CO
‘Thursday Night Football’ vs. Seahawks, Christmas Day vs. Bills highlight Broncos’ standalone matchups in 2026
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos are set to take center stage five times in 2026.
Denver is scheduled to play in five standalone games during its 2026 season, three of which will be contested at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Broncos will open their season with a “Monday Night Football” showdown against the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs. Last season, Denver swept the Chiefs for the first time since 2014.
This year’s Week 1 matchup will mark the first time since 2022 that Denver will begin its season in prime time. During Head Coach Sean Payton’s tenure, the Broncos have posted a 3-0 record on “Monday Night Football,” including last year’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Broncos will then host their first prime-time game of the year, a “Sunday Night Football” matchup with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. The Rams posted a 12-5 record in 2025, advancing to the NFC Championship Game.
The Sept. 27 game will mark the Broncos first home “Sunday Night Football” matchup since 2023. Denver is 2-0 in “Sunday Night Football” games under Payton, including a 2025 road victory over the Commanders.
Just three weeks later, Denver will host the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football.” The Seahawks will be led by quarterback Sam Darnold and the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Denver is 1-0 on “Thursday Night Football” at home under Payton and 2-2 overall.
The Broncos will then play their second and final standalone road game, traveling to Pittsburgh for a Black Friday matchup with the Steelers. The Steelers won the AFC North in 2025 and advanced to the postseason for the third straight year. This will be Denver’s first-ever game played on Black Friday.
The Broncos’ final scheduled standalone game is set for Christmas Day. Denver will host the Buffalo Bills, setting up a rematch of last year’s Divisional Round game. The Broncos and Bills have faced each other out of the playoffs in the last two seasons, with the teams splitting the pair of games. The last time the teams faced off in the regular season was in 2023, when the Broncos earned a Monday night road victory.
This will mark the second consecutive year that Denver will play on Christmas. The Broncos are 3-2 all time on Christmas Day, including last year’s victory over the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The NFL’s flexible scheduling rules could also lead to the Broncos playing additional prime-time games in 2026. The dates of Denver’s Week 17 and 18 games are also yet to be determined.
See below for a complete list of Denver’s standalone games:
Week 1: Broncos at Chiefs, “Monday Night Football,” Sept. 14, 6:15 p.m. MT, ABC/ESPN
Week 3: Broncos vs. Rams, “Sunday Night Football,” Sept. 27, 6:20 p.m. MT, NBC
Week 6: Broncos vs. Seahawks, “Thursday Night Football,” Oct. 15, 6:15 p.m. MT, Prime Video
Week 12: Broncos at Steelers, Black Friday, Nov. 27, 1 p.m. MT, Prime Video
Week 16: Broncos vs. Bills, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2:30 p.m. MT, Netflix
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