Three firefighters were killed and two others were injured while responding to wildfires along the Colorado-Utah border, the US Wildland Fire Service announced on Sunday. The agency, established in January to coordinate wildfire suppression and prevention across public lands, said the firefighters were involved in a joint response to the Knowles and Gore fires on Saturday.
“The US Wildland Fire Service stands united with the USDA Forest Service in grief and in our unwavering support for the loved ones left behind,” the agency said in a Facebook statement. “Their bravery, dedication, and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
Wildfire Activity Intensifies Across Western US
Wildfire activity has increased across the western US after several days of hot, dry, and windy weather fueled blazes in Utah, Arizona, and other regions, while additional fires ignited. In Utah, hundreds of firefighters have been working to contain a wildfire that expanded by more than 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) by Saturday. State officials cited low humidity and strong winds for the rapid growth.
The Cottonwood fire began on Monday in Fishlake National Forest in central Utah. According to the US Forest Service, it grew overnight from about 70,000 acres to over 92,000 acres by Saturday morning. The National Interagency Fire Center reported the fire remained 0% contained and was the largest active wildfire in the US.
Damage Assessment and Firefighting Efforts
Officials in Beaver County began working with firefighting teams on Saturday to evaluate damage, though no estimates were immediately available. Additional firefighters have been deployed to combat both newly ignited fires and existing blazes, driven by critical fire weather including extremely low humidity, high temperatures, and strong winds.
Nearly 3 million acres have burned across the country since the beginning of the year, exceeding the 10-year average. Utah faces an even greater threat due to record-low snowpack and the warmest winter ever recorded.
State of Emergency Declared in Utah and Colorado
Earlier in the week, Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency due to severe fire conditions and authorized a statewide fireworks ban ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. The emergency declaration comes as Utah experiences one of its most severe wildfire seasons, driven by historic drought. Colorado Governor Jared Polis also declared a state of emergency on Saturday and approved the deployment of the National Guard to assist with firefighting.
The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings across a broad section of the West, including California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Power shutoffs have become increasingly common as wildfire danger grows. Rocky Mountain Power shut off electrical lines serving Beaver County and surrounding areas due to extreme conditions.
Climate Crisis Fuels Extreme Weather
This summer could become the hottest on record, with wildfires posing a growing challenge. Areas across the American Great Plains that are typically green by mid-spring instead experienced fire rather than rainfall, leaving over 1 million acres scorched. Outbreaks of extreme weather, including conditions ripe for wildfires, are symptomatic of the ongoing climate crisis driven by carbon emissions from fossil fuels.
