Three firefighters die battling fires on Utah-Colorado border
Two other crew members were injured as hot, dry and windy weather continued to feed fires across the western United States.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Three firefighters died while working on wildfires near the Utah-Colorado line, the US Wildland Fire Service said Sunday. The deaths add to the toll from a difficult fire season in the western United States, where officials have reported widespread burning after days of hot, dry and windy weather.
The firefighters were assigned to the Knowles and Gore fires, the agency said. Two other crew members were injured, and the agency said more information would be released later.
The US Wildland Fire Service, which was established earlier this year to coordinate firefighting and fire-reduction work on public lands, said it was grieving and supporting the families of those killed.
States under emergency orders
The deaths came after the governors of Utah and Colorado issued emergency declarations during the past week, according to Al Jazeera and The Associated Press. In Utah, the emergency order allowed Governor Spencer Cox to prohibit fireworks before the July 4 holiday.
“Today, we mourn three heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting lives and communities along the Utah-Colorado border,” Cox said Sunday in a post cited by Al Jazeera and AP.
Utah’s state government warned that continuing drought and dry weather were keeping wildfire potential above normal, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared an emergency Saturday and authorized the National Guard to help fight the fires.
At least three dozen wildfires burning in the United States on Sunday were listed by authorities as uncontained, Al Jazeera and AP reported. Since the start of the year, nearly three million acres, or 1.2 million hectares, have burned nationwide, above the 10-year average, according to the same report.
Fires spread across the West
Arizona has also faced dangerous fire conditions in recent days, with blazes burning south of the Grand Canyon and near Kendrick Mountain, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Parts of northern Arizona lost power Saturday after the local utility initiated a safety shut-off intended to reduce wildfire risk.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said climate change has raised wildfire risk in recent years by contributing to higher temperatures, longer droughts and dry conditions that can feed fires.
The western US fires are burning as Europe deals with a record heatwave, Al Jazeera and AP reported. That heat is expected to reach the eastern United States on Wednesday, according to the same report.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.