3 firefighters killed, 2 injured while tackling wildfires on the Colorado-Utah border

By — Ty Oneil, Associated Press Ty Oneil, Associated Press By — Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/3-firefighters-killed-2-injured-while-tackling-wildfires-on-the-colorado-utah-border Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 3 firefighters killed, 2 injured while tackling wildfires on the Colorado-Utah border Nation Jun 28, 2026 12:53 PM EDT BEAVER, Utah (AP) — Three firefighters died and two were injured while tackling fires on the Colorado-Utah border, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service reported Sunday. The agency — created earlier this year to streamline firefighting and fire reduction across public lands — said the firefighters had been part of an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires on Saturday. "The U.S. Wildland Fire Service stands united with the USDA Forest Service in grief and in our unwavering support for the loved ones left behind. Their bravery, dedication, and sacrifice will never be forgotten," it said in a statement on Facebook. READ MORE: Residents on notice as fast-moving fire in Utah, the largest in the U.S., blackens more forestland Wildfire activity has intensified across the western United States, as consecutive days of hot, dry and windy weather have fueled flames in Utah, Arizona and elsewhere as new fires popped up across the region. The largest blaze, the Cottonwood Fire, was burning in rugged terrain in southwest Utah. It ballooned Saturday to more than 144 square miles (373 square kilometers) after marching through canyons and mountainsides, destroying part of a ski resort and other summer cabins along the way. Authorities in Beaver County began working with fire teams on Saturday to assess the extent of the damage, but no estimates were immediately available. Gov. Spencer Cox in a post on social media called it bleak, but he thanked crews for what he called "several miraculous stops and saves." The cliffs and steep slopes have made the job even harder, said Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson assigned to the fire. "It's hard to get dozers and other heavy equipment into that. It's hard to get engines into that," she said. "It doesn't make it impossible to firefight, but it does just kind of slow things down." Hundreds of firefighters have been arriving in the arid state to battle new starts as well as those that have been growing because of what forecasters called critical fire weather — dangerously low humidity levels, warm temperatures and gusty winds. READ MORE: Heat, wind and drought conditions spark wildfires in the U.S. West The danger is even higher this year because of Utah's record-low snowpack and its warmest winter on record. Much of the West is grappling with similar conditions, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. From Alaska to Florida, crews worked Saturday to corral dozens of fires, including three dozen that were classified as large