Three American firefighters have died and two others were injured while trying to control a massive wildfire on the Colorado-Utah border.
The incident occurred on Saturday after the teams were caught by a sudden change in wind direction and fell into the so-called “fire trap“. Rescuers deployed portable fire shelters, but the flames engulfed them. The two injured were evacuated by medical helicopter.
The fire, named “Snyder“ (Snyder Fire), started after lightning struck on Saturday morning in Grand County, Utah. Fueled by strong winds and extremely dry vegetation, it quickly crossed the state border and entered Colorado, where it merged with two other active fires. In just 24 hours, the element has burned more than 28,000 acres (about 11,300 hectares) of land, and control over it remains 0%.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency and officially mobilized the US National Guard to assist with logistics and the removal of the deceased from the difficult-to-reach mountainous terrain. Authorities in Mesa County issued immediate evacuation orders for dozens of properties and closed the McInnis Canyons National Preserve to visitors.
“Today we mourn three heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, protecting lives and communities,“ he said in an official address Utah Governor Spencer Cox, who has imposed an emergency ban on the use of fireworks in his state. The western United States is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons, compounded by record heat and a long drought.
Source: U.S. Wildland Fire Service and the press offices of the governors of Colorado and Utah.