Where is the smoke in the Front Range coming from?

If you stepped outside recently and thought, “Did someone forget to put out the campfire?” — you weren’t alone. Coloradans across Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins noticed a distinct smoky smell hanging in the air, and the culprit isn’t your neighbor’s weekend barbecue getting out of hand.

According to 9NEWS meteorologist Chris Bianchi, the most likely source is drifting smoke from a pair of wildfires burning to our north — the Moonshine Fire in central Wyoming and the Davis Coulee Fire in southern Montana. The Moonshine Fire, which has burned roughly 7,200 acres and is about 47 percent contained, appears to be the bigger contributor.

So how did smoke from Wyoming and Montana end up in our backyard? You can thank (or blame) the fall-like cold front that rolled through the Front Range, bringing gusty winds that carried the smoke right down into Colorado. That same front also dropped our highs into the low-to-mid 70s — making it the first real taste of fall this season.

Here’s the good news: Despite the unmistakable smell, air quality along the Front Range has remained largely unaffected. So while your nose might disagree, the air is still in pretty good shape.

That said, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on local air quality updates, especially if you’re sensitive to smoke or have respiratory concerns. You can check current conditions at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s air quality monitoring page.