The win moved the Rapids into a tie for third place in the Western Conference, while the Fire fell back into sole possession of third in the East as they could not keep pace with Columbus and New England. The Fire saw their winless streak against the Rapids extended to 10 games, having not won there since the 1999 season.
The game-winner came on an own goal, as Chicago 'keeper Jon Busch's 30th-minute deflection from Jordan Harvey slipped over the goal line, providing the decisive factor as the Rapids climbed into a crowded scrum knocking on the door for a postseason berth. Omar Cummings doubled the lead seven minutes later.
Neither team looked especially strong in the opening minutes of the first half. It was possession by attrition in the early going, with neither team able to build momentum and sustain an attack into opposing territory.
The Rapids' best early chance came on a service from Kosuke Kimura, connecting from the right wing and offering Tom McManus a header in front of the goal.
Cummings outran Diego Gutierrez into the right corner in the 20th minute, then crossed to McManus, who got off a good shot from near the goal line, just missing the far post.
Kimura made a big defensive stop in the 25th minute, breaking up a Fire attack after Logan Pause centered a pass from Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
The Rapids finally broke the stalemate in the 30th minute, after a free kick by Terry Cooke. Harvey recovered the ball on the left wing, near the goal line, and managed an awkward angled shot that Busch deflected into the near side of the goal, the ball barely crossing the plane of the goal before a defender tried to clear it back out.
The go-ahead goal would have been Harvey's first score of the season, but given the angle and the fact that the ball might not have gone into the goal without contact from Busch, it was ruled an own goal.
The Rapids kept the pressure on, finding the net again in the 37th minute when Cooke passed from the right side to Cummings some 30 yards from goal. Cummings rounded a defender and made the deep shot low into the left side of the goal, past a diving Busch.
Chicago midfielder John Thorrington was shown a yellow card in the 41st minute, making a reckless tackle and sending Colin Clark limping off the field before rejoining the play moments later. Clark penetrated in first half stoppage time, but hit a dead end when facing three defenders alone on the left side of the box.
Bakary Soumare picked up a yellow card after the play, taking down McManus on a reckless foul.
Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni picked up his own warning for a reckless foul in the 56th minute, leaving Thorrington flat on his back and setting up a free kick from Blanco. Mastroeni was back in the thick of it moments later, stealing a Fire ball in the middle third, taking it down the field and crossing to Clark, who shot wide in the 58th minute.
Gutierrez offered a threat in the 62nd minute, serving the ball to substitute Andy Herron in front of the goal, but Herron's one-timer was high. Herron came in for midfielder Stephen King a minute before, with Justin Mapp entering the game at the same time for Fire defender Brandon Prideaux.
The Fire had another dangerous play in the 67th minute, with Gutierrez taking a corner kick from the left side, and Brian McBride missing on a bicycle kick attempt from six yards.
The Rapids made three second half substitutions, bringing in Ugo Ihemelu for Mike Petke in the 64th, replacing Cooke with Mehdi Ballouchy in the 71st, and sending Conor Casey into action for McManus in the 79th.
Mapp nearly put Chicago on the board with a close cross to McBride in the 82nd minute, but the pass eluded the Fire striker, who was removed for substitute Tomasz Frankowski immediately following the play.
Wilman Conde received a final caution from the referee for dissent in the 84th minute, arguing an out-of-bounds call that went against Chicago.
Colorado made an effort to extend their lead in the 88th minute, with Clark firing hard from 15 yards and Cummings following up on Busch's deflection, but to no avail.
The Fire did not fade quietly, getting five shots off in a 10-minute period beginning in the 62nd minute, but Burpo rose to the occasion protecting the nets -- including a pair of stops from close range in added time -- and thrusting Colorado squarely into the playoff mix as the teams enter the final month of regular season play.
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