Colorado‑Utah border wildfire kills three U.S. firefighters

A fast‑moving wildland fire near the Colorado‑Utah state line claimed the lives of three firefighters from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and the U.S. Forest Service on June 29. The blaze, which began in the Nols and Gore areas of Mesa County, Colorado, later merged with another fire to become the Snider Fire. Two additional crew members suffered severe burns and were hospitalized.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency and authorized the deployment of the National Guard to assist firefighting efforts. Officials attributed the rapid spread to extreme heat, dry conditions and strong winds, noting that the total number of major wildfires across the United States had risen to 45.

The incident underscores the heightened risk faced by firefighting personnel as western states contend with a surge in large‑scale fires this summer.