Three firefighters were killed and two others were injured while battling wildfires along the Colorado-Utah border, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service said Sunday, as extreme fire conditions continued to fuel fast-moving blazes across the western United States.Firefighters were part of the interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires on Saturday, the agency said. No further details about the victims or circumstances surrounding the accident were immediately released.“The U.S. Wildland Fire Service stands united with the USDA Forest Service in its grief and in our steadfast support for the loved ones left behind. Their courage, dedication and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the agency said in a statement posted on Facebook.The deaths came as wildfire activity intensified in many western states after consecutive days of hot, dry and windy weather. Officials said dozens of new fires broke out across Utah, Arizona and neighboring states, while existing fires continued to expand under what meteorologists described as critical fire-related weather conditions.The largest active fire, the Cottonwood Fire in southwestern Utah, grew to more than 144 square miles (373 square kilometers) on Saturday as flames swept through canyons and mountainous terrain, destroying parts of a ski resort and several summer cabins.
Authorities in Beaver County have begun assessing damage, although no official estimates have been released. Utah Governor Spencer Cox described the situation as grim but praised firefighters for making what he called “several miraculous stops and rescues.”Fire officials said steep slopes and rugged terrain complicated firefighting efforts.“It is difficult to get tractors and other heavy equipment involved in this.
“It’s hard to get engines into that,” said Alyssa Mason, a fire spokeswoman. “It doesn’t make it impossible to fight fires, it just slows things down.”Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed across Utah as crews battle newly ignited fires and expanding blazes. Officials attributed the rapid spread to dangerously low humidity, high temperatures and strong winds.The wildfire threat was exacerbated by Utah’s record low snowpack and the warmest winter on record.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, much of the western United States is experiencing similar conditions.Nationally, nearly three million acres (1.2 million hectares) have burned since the beginning of the year, exceeding the 10-year average. Fire crews are currently responding to dozens of active incidents across the country, including more than 30 large, out-of-control wildfires.Earlier this week, Governor Cox declared a state of emergency and authorized a statewide fireworks ban ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, citing one of Utah’s most severe wildfire seasons in recent history.Wildfire outbreaks have increased sharply over the past week and exhibited unprecedented fire behavior, straining Utah’s firefighting resources, said Jimmy Barnes, a state forestry official.Colorado Governor Jared Polis also declared a state of emergency on Saturday, authorizing the deployment of the National Guard to support firefighting operations.The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings across much of the West, including California, Arizona and New Mexico, warning of conditions ripe for rapid growth of wildfires.In northern Arizona, a wildfire continued to burn south of Grand Canyon National Park, while another fire near Mount Kendrick prompted evacuation orders. Utility companies in Arizona and Utah also took precautionary power outages in several areas to reduce the risk of new fires caused by electrical infrastructure.