Three firefighters were killed and two sustained burn injuries on Saturday while battling a wildfire in Colorado, near the state’s border with Utah. The firefighters were part of an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires, which merged with other fires to form the Snyder Fire.
The National Weather Service warned of ‘extreme fire behavior’ along the Utah-Colorado border, where ‘rapid fire growth is likely.’ Temperatures in Grand Junction, east of the fire, hit a high of 93 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, with winds gusting to 44 mph.
Wildfires Across the West
Consecutive days of hot, dry, and windy weather have fueled fires in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and elsewhere. The largest blaze, the Cottonwood Fire, burned out of control in rugged terrain in southwest Utah, destroying part of a ski resort.
Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah declared an emergency last week and banned fireworks ahead of the July Fourth holiday due to the high risk of wildfires. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also declared an emergency on Saturday, authorizing the use of the National Guard to tackle the fires.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
