The Mason Gulch Fire burned over 8,000 acres and caused the town of Beulah and other communities to evacuate its residents. The fire was caused by a lightning strike and was fueled due to drought conditions. Shifting winds caused the fire to quadruple in size in just three days. This was the biggest fire in southern Colorado that year. It is estimated that a total of 2,000 families were evacuated during the ten days. However, thanks to fire mitigation by the National Forest Service that had begun five years prior around the area no primary residents were lost during this fire.