Three firefighters were killed and two others were injured Saturday while battling fast-moving wildfires along the Colorado-Utah border, marking one of the deadliest wildfire incidents of the year.
The firefighters were part of a federal response team assigned to the Knowles and Gore fires when they were caught in a burnover incident, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. A burnover occurs when a wildfire spreads rapidly enough to overtake firefighters, cutting off escape routes and forcing them to deploy emergency fire shelters. Two firefighters sustained burn injuries and were transported to a hospital for treatment.
The names of the firefighters have not been released as officials continue notifying their families.
“Our immediate focus is on supporting their families, friends, and fellow crewmates during this incredibly difficult time,” the U.S. Wildland Fire Service said in a statement, according to reporting.
The five firefighters were from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and the U.S. Forest Service, the two federal agencies managing the response. The U.S. Wildland Fire Service, established earlier this year within the Department of the Interior, was created to streamline wildfire response efforts across federal public lands.
The Knowles and Gore fires have since merged with other nearby fires to form the Snyder Mesa Fire, which had burned approximately 28,000 acres as of Saturday. In neighboring Utah, the Cottonwood Fire has become the state’s largest active wildfire, scorching more than 93,000 acres and remaining 0% contained as of Sunday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency on Saturday, authorizing the Colorado National Guard to assist firefighting operations.
“I’m devastated about the loss of three heroic firefighters who died in the line of duty in Western Colorado,” Polis said. “To the loved ones of those lost, and to their fellow crew members – some who are still battling the flames – know that the State of Colorado mourns alongside you.”
Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, former U.S. Fire Administrator and a member of Homeland Security Today’s Editorial Board, also shared her condolences in a post following the incident.
Meanwhile, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has issued an emergency order banning the use of fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July holiday as firefighters continue battling multiple active wildfires across the state.
