(NPR) – Already battling the largest fire in state history, Colorado is now dealing with another blaze that grew by more than 100,000 acres in a day. The flames traveled east, fueled by beetle-eaten pine trees and dry winds. Hundreds evacuated. The fire jumped the Continental Divide. Conditions forced the closing of Rocky Mountain National Park.
The fire, called East Troublesome after a nearby creek, has spread to more than 125,000 acres. Smoke plumes stretched 40,000 feet in the air. The nearby town of Grand Lake was forced to evacuate. East Troublesome is now the fourth-largest wildfire in Colorado records. It started on Oct. 14, but overnight Wednesday it quadrupled in size.
“The growth that you see on this fire is unheard of,” Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin said during a Thursday press conference. “We plan for the worst. This is the worst of the worst of the worst. And no matter how we look at it, we can’t control Mother Nature.” The cause is under investigation.
Three of the five largest fires in Colorado history are from 2020. The state has battled its largest fire in history for more than two months just west of Fort Collins. The fire, named Cameron Peak, continues to burn and has spread to about 207,000 acres. It is 55% contained. MORE
