After the East Troublesome Fire exploded in a fire storm the night of October 21, 2020, growing over 100,000 acres in just a few hours, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people, destroying 550 structures, including 366 homes, and resulting in the loss of two beloved homeowners, Grand County was left in shock.
But reflective of the resilient people who are drawn to these remote mountains, an upwelling of care and response soon followed. Individuals, businesses, and other community entities banded together to offer shelter, organize food and clothing collection and distribution, and established processes to get needed resources to evacuees.
Friends, neighbors, and strangers looked for ways to help. And it was in that early time that Christa Kopp of Kremmling remembered having ordered tee-shirts to support wildfire efforts in Colorado even before becoming a permanent resident of the state herself.