Four years ago today, the residents of Estes Park were ordered to evacuated because of the threat posed by the rapidly spreading East Troublesome Fire which began on Oct. 14. Fanned by 50 to 100 mph winds, the fire blew up on Oct. 21 and 22 and burned more than 100,000 acres in 24 hours crossing the Continental Divide and racing toward the town.
On Oct. 22, a mandatory evacuation order was given and in the middle of the afternoon, the sky over the Estes Valley was an ominous dark orange. Roads into town were closed as residents and visitors streamed down valley on U.S. Highways 34 and 36.
The fire came as close as Bear Lake Road and the YMCA of the Rockies before it stopped. Fire mitigation efforts coupled with a heavy, wet snow that began to fall on Oct. 24 are credited with sparing the town. On Oct. 26, the mandatory evacuation order was lifted.
The East Troublesome Fire burned 193,812 acres, making it the second-largest wildfire in the state’s history. It was contained on Nov. 30.
If you have pictures of the East Troublesome Fire and the evacuation four years ago that you would like to share with the Estes Valley Voice, please send them to news@estesvalleyvoice.com. We will upload them into a gallery. Please include some information about where you took the photo and the date the photo was taken.
Lessons learned from the fire and evacuation by an in-town resident:
1) we will be (and now are) prepared in advance with plenty of hoses and sprinklers on hand, and won’t leave until we see flames;
2) if we see flames, we will drive the already loaded trailer down to the event center parking lot – acres of fire-proof pavement to park it on.
3) if it appears that a firestorm is indeed in progress (and the event center lot provides a good vantage point), then and only then will we head down Hwy 36, or south down Hwy 7 if that is still be an option.
Your personal sense of risk may differ. We had the hoses and sprinklers out around the house this year during the category 1 & 2 fire restrictions, just to be prepared.
Appreciate your comment, Ron. We have come to similar conclusions in our household.