East Troublesome Fire (2020)
Grand County (Rocky Mountain National Park), Colorado · Oct 14, 2020 – Nov 30, 2020
Second-largest wildfire in Colorado historyAcres burned
193,812
Lives lost
2
Structures destroyed
580
Year
2020
Duration
~6 weeks
Evacuations
Tens of thousands across Grand County and Estes Park
What happened
The East Troublesome Fire exploded by roughly 100,000 acres in a single day in October 2020, jumped the Continental Divide, and forced the evacuation of Estes Park and Grand Lake — becoming the second-largest fire in Colorado history.
Cause
Under investigation
Location
Grand County (Rocky Mountain National Park), Colorado
Key facts
- ▪Second-largest wildfire in Colorado history
- ▪Grew ~100,000 acres in one day
- ▪Jumped the Continental Divide into Rocky Mountain NP
- ▪Forced evacuation of Estes Park and Grand Lake
Replay the East Troublesome Fire in the spread simulator
This centers the wildfire-spread simulator on the East Troublesome Fire’s documented ignition point and replays its conditions on 2020-10-14 — the day’s strongest wind, temperature, and humidity from the open-meteo historical archive (which set the fire-day fuel moisture) — run through the same Rothermel surface-fire model used across FireRisk. Press ▶ Simulate to watch how fire tends to move under those conditions.
⚠️ Educational reconstruction — not the real fire perimeter
This is a simplified model of how fire spreads under the 2020 conditions, not the East Troublesome Fire’s actual burned area, official progression, or a prediction of any current fire. It cannot account for real fuels, suppression, spotting, or how conditions changed hour to hour. For real-time fire information always follow Watch Duty, official agencies, and local authorities — and call 911 in an emergency.
Loading the 2020 fire-day conditions…
Reminder: an educational reconstruction of fire spread under the 2020 conditions — not the East Troublesome Fire’s actual perimeter, an official record, or a forecast. Modeled spread, direction, and timing are illustrative only. Never rely on it for any safety decision.
Aftermath & what changed
Its single-day explosive growth became a textbook example of extreme fire behavior driven by drought-killed beetle-kill forest and high winds, reshaping Colorado evacuation planning.
Could your home survive a fire like the East Troublesome Fire?
Check your address for a 0–100 wildfire risk score, every fire recorded nearby, and the hardening steps that change the outcome.
Related major fires
East Troublesome Fire FAQ
When was the East Troublesome Fire and where did it burn?
The East Troublesome Fire started Oct 14, 2020 in Grand County (Rocky Mountain National Park), Colorado, and was contained Nov 30, 2020.
How many acres did the East Troublesome Fire burn?
The East Troublesome Fire burned approximately 193,812 acres.
How many people died in the East Troublesome Fire?
Approximately 2 people died in the East Troublesome Fire.
What caused the East Troublesome Fire?
Under investigation.
Figures are approximate and compiled from official agency reporting; totals for recent fires may still be revised. FireRisk.ai is an independent wildfire-risk service.