Black Forest Fire 498 homes destroyed The Black Forest Fire burned through a heavily-populated area surrounded by dense forest on the south end of the Palmer Divide. Two people died, and the El Paso County Sheriff's Office counted 498 homes destroyed. East Troublesome Fire 366 homes destroyed The East Troublesome Fire started deep in the Arapaho National Forest on Oct. 14. Six days later, the fire started spreading dramatically, forcing evacuations in Grand Lake and eventually, all of Estes Park. More than 35,000 people were forced out of their homes. From Oct. 21-22, the fire burned more than 87,000 acres through Grand County and across the Continental Divide. Drought, dead trees, high winds and low humidity fueled its rapid spread, even during the night.