Colorado’s East Troublesome Wildfire May Signal A New Era Of Big Fire Blow-ups

Grand Lake Fire Marshal Dan Mayer never thought the East Troublesome Fire would make it to town.

On the morning of Oct. 21, 2020, the fire was still about 20 miles away from the vacation spot on the western edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. The perimeter had crept east at a predictable pace for days. In the worst case, Mayer imagined it would lose momentum against Lake Granby, a large reservoir in the area.