Three firefighters have died battling a fast-moving blaze along the Colorado-Utah border, officials said, as dozens of wildfires rage across the West. The three firefighters died while battling wildfires that later became known as the fast-growing Snyder Fire, which as of Monday had burned more than 30,000 acres along the Utah-Colorado border.

Fire Restrictions

Utah has imposed sweeping restrictions on Fourth of July fireworks ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday. The restrictions are in response to a historic drought, hundreds of wildfires, and unprecedented fire behavior that have stretched Utah’s firefighting resources to the brink.

The National Interagency Fire Center has increased the national preparedness level to Level 4 of 5 “in response to current and anticipated national fire activity,” which means national resources are “heavily committed” to help combat fires across the US.

Colorado Fires

In Colorado, the Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado has grown to 23,000 acres as howling winds have stymied local firefighting efforts. The fire has forced evacuation orders for about 4,200 people.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency Saturday in Mesa County in reaction to the Snyder Fire, which he said had crossed into Colorado from Utah, and authorized the state’s National Guard to support response efforts.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.