Horses Evacuated As Colorado Wildfire Grows
Volunteers help move hundreds of horses to safety as the East Troublesome fire, now the second largest in Colorado history, continues to spread. KUSA's Marc Sallinger reports.
(KUSA/NBC News) — Colorado’s ‘East Troublesome’ wildfire continued to rapidly expand Thursday, damaging numerous structures and forcing the evacuation of entire towns.
The fire has burned more than 170,000 acres and is now the second largest in state history.
Rocky Mountain National Park has been entirely closed to the public, and mandatory evacuations are underway for much of the western side of it and parts of Estes Park. All routes into the popular tourist town are now closed, and the roads are open for exit only.
Near Granby, volunteers moved in to help evacuate nearly 200 horses.
Rancher Ami Cullen found a ranch outside of town willing to shelter her horses, then the fire spread, putting the pasture once believed to be safe in the middle of a new evacuation zone. On Thursday they were forced to evacuate the 200 horses for the second time in a week.
“I can’t even keep up with my phone right now, the amount of people offering to help and trying to get here to help us is unbelievable,” she said. “It took some phone calls, some friendships, and some muscle to load up 200 horses. It only takes a couple words to figure out why so many wanted to help.”
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