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Editor’s note: Ready for 2020 to be over? Yeah, so are we — but not before highlighting some of the bright spots in a year unlike any other. Instead of doing a typical look back at the news of 2020, we’re focusing on the stories that showcased the indomitable spirit of our mountain community during a difficult time.
It wasn’t until Dec. 18 that the U.S. Forest Service officially declared the Grizzly Creek Fire 100% contained.
The human-caused fire was ignited in the Interstate 70 median back on Aug. 10 and eventually burned 32,631 acres. Two Type 1 incident management teams — Great Basin and Alaska — were called in to battle the blaze along with numerous state and local firefighters. For more than a week, I-70 through Glenwood Canyon was closed to traffic which led motorists to make ill-advised decisions to attempt to navigate through the area via Cottonwood Pass or Crooked Creek Road.