It’s been more than two years since the smoke cleared from one of Colorado’s biggest and costliest wildfires -- the East Troublesome Fire. But many victims are still fighting for the insurance money they say they’re owed, with one company at the center of several of those alleged disputes -- State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance.
The East Troublesome Fire burned more than 193,000 acres across Grand County and into parts of Rocky Mountain National Park, narrowly missing downtown Grand Lake.
The blaze destroyed 366 homes and 214 other structures.
James White’s Shadow Mountain Guest Ranch, a scenic lodge in Granby, was one of those destroyed to dust.
He says his insurance company, State Farm, dragged its feet to pay him these last two years, claiming he wasn’t paid a single cent for months after the fire, and then, the first check he received from State Farm bounced.