Wildfire — Grand & Summit Counties Below 9000 Feet, Colorado

2020-10-14 to 2020-10-31 · Grand & Summit Counties Below 9000 Feet, Colorado

Event narrative

The East Troublesome Fire destroyed 555 structures. Two fatalities were confirmed. Nine buildings suffered major damage and 34 sustained minor damage. Among the buildings destroyed, 366 were residential and 189 were outbuildings. Ten buildings belonging to businesses were destroyed in the fire. Grand County estimated that debris removal could exceed over 30,000 cubic yards and cost more than $27 million to haul off. The property damage estimate only includes the destroyed residences and outbuildings.

Wider weather episode

The East Troublesome Fire started on the afternoon of October 14th and continued through the end of the month; iIt became the second largest wildfire in Colorado to date, and one of the most destructive. The origination point was northeast of Kremmling in Grand County on the Arapaho National Forest. The fire was fueled by widespread drought, numerous dead and down beetle-killed trees, red flag weather conditions created by high winds and dry conditions, along with poor humidity recovery overnight. The combination of these factors led to unprecedented, wind-driven, active fire behavior with rapid spread during the overnight hours. The peak fire spread of 87,093 acres occurred between late afternoon on the 21st and the early afternoon of the 22nd. The size of the fire exploded from 18,550 acres to 187,964 acres during this 24-hr period. The fire crossed State Highway 125 on the afternoon of the 21st and spread eastward into the Rocky Mountain National Park on the 22nd, crossing the Continental Divide and reaching the western edge of Estes Park on October 23rd.

The East Troublesome Fire burned 193,774 acres through the end of October, which was nearly 15 percent of the land in Grand County. Several mandatory evacuations were issued, impacting more than 35,000 people. An elderly couple died on October 21st when they refused to evacuate and took shelter in the basement of their home. The East Troublesome Fire destroyed 555 structures. Nine buildings suffered major damage and 34 sustained minor damage. Among the buildings destroyed, 366 were residential and 189 were outbuildings. More than 200 were primary residences. Many ranches reported a significant or total loss of hay intended for winter feeding of livestock. Damages and impacts associated with agricultural land and operations were ongoing. The burned lands incorporated significant grazing leases held by local producers, and impacts to agriculture irrigation supply and delivery were still being assessed. A winter storm in late October brought very cold temperatures, a blanket of heavy wet snow and much lighter winds. These factors resulted in a dramatic drop in fire behavior.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 923474. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.