From the Archives: East Troublesome Fire

On Oct. 21 and Oct. 22, 2020, the East Troublesome fire exhibited behavior not seen from a wildfire at its altitude and seasonal alignment. Located in wilderness northeast of Kremmling, the fire threatened about 90 homes in the backcountry and was a lower priority fire compared to the neighboring Cameron Peak fire in Larimer County. That changed, however, when a storm system transformed the fire, causing it to burn 25 miles to the east, up to the Continental Divide and then over the top of it, threatening Estes Park, Colorado. 

The fire burned more than one football field per second as it grew from 19,000 acres to 170,000 acres in 36 hours. At the back end of the cold front, after the winds had caused the fire to grow so fiercely, a snowstorm helped to slow the fire once again.  

At final measurement, the East Troublesome fire burned 193,812 acres, causing two deaths and destroying 555 structures.