GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado — Three federal wildland firefighters were killed and two others were injured while battling fast-moving wildfires along the Colorado-Utah border, U.S. authorities said, as hot, dry and windy conditions continued to fuel dangerous fire activity across the U.S. West.
The U.S. Department of the Interior said the five firefighters were caught in a burnover incident on Saturday while responding to the Knowles and Gore fires as part of an interagency operation involving the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and the U.S. Forest Service. The firefighters deployed emergency fire shelters, but three did not survive. The two injured firefighters sustained burn injuries and were taken to hospital, officials said.
The Knowles and Gore fires later merged with other blazes to form the Snyder Fire, which remained uncontained after burning tens of thousands of acres across the Colorado-Utah border, according to fire officials. Authorities had not released the names of the firefighters pending family notification.
In a statement, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service said it stood with the Forest Service in mourning the loss of the firefighters and was focused on supporting their families, friends and colleagues. The Department of the Interior said the circumstances surrounding the burnover incident were under investigation.
The fatalities came as multiple wildfires burned across the western United States, driven by extreme heat, low humidity and strong winds. Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency and activated the National Guard, while Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency and imposed restrictions including a fireworks ban in parts of the state amid heightened wildfire risk.
Firefighting operations were continuing on Monday, with officials warning that critical fire weather conditions persisted and the situation remained fluid.
