Three Firefighters Die Fighting Wildfires Near Colorado-Utah Border

Three firefighters died Saturday while responding to wildfires near the Colorado-Utah border. Two others sustained burn injuries in the same incident. The deceased and injured firefighters worked for the U.S.

Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service. They were part of an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires, which merged with other blazes to form the Snyder Fire. That fire has burned about 44 square miles.

A related Snyder Mesa Fire, formed by the merger of the Jones, Knowles, and Snyder Mesa fires, has burned more than 28,000 acres after crossing from Utah into Colorado and remains at zero percent containment. Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a state disaster emergency declaration on June 27.

The Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit is responding to about eight confirmed wildfires started by lightning in the past 24 hours.

The fires are concentrated near the Utah border and have spread into Mesa County near Fruita and Glade Park. Additional fires were reported north of Ouray, northeast of Grand Junction, and in the San Juan National Forest. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office issued pre-evacuation orders on June 27 for properties along BS Road west of 11 5/10 Road to the Utah border.

The zone was expanded by early evening to 16 1/2 Road. A 2/10 Road was closed at DS Road and at BS Road near the Bureau of Land Management boundary. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued air quality health advisories for Mesa, Garfield, Routt, Eagle, Montrose, Delta, Gunnison, and Pitkin counties, including Aspen, Vail, Grand Junction, and Telluride.

Moderate to heavy smoke could linger until at least Sunday morning. The National Weather Service is not forecasting rain over the next few days. The identities of the three deceased firefighters have not been released.

The injured firefighters are being treated for burns.