Three firefighters were killed and two others were injured on Saturday while responding to the Knowles and Gore fires along the Colorado-Utah border, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service announced on Sunday.
The agency said the firefighters were involved in a joint response to the two blazes. In a Facebook post, it said 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.”
The Cottonwood fire in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest grew overnight from about 70,000 acres to more than 92,000 acres by Saturday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire remained 0% contained and was described by officials as the largest active wildfire in the country.
Utah officials said low humidity and strong winds contributed to the rapid growth of the blaze. Additional firefighters have been deployed as forecasters described critical fire weather conditions including extremely low humidity, high temperatures and strong winds. Officials in Beaver County began working with firefighting teams on Saturday to evaluate damage from the Cottonwood fire. No damage estimates were immediately available.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox earlier in the week declared a state of emergency and ordered a statewide ban on personal fireworks through July 5, citing what he called the worst wildfire conditions in living memory. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also declared a state of emergency on Saturday and approved the deployment of the Colorado National Guard to assist with firefighting efforts.
Rocky Mountain Power shut off electrical lines serving Beaver County and surrounding areas. Utilities across the region have increasingly used power shutoffs as a last resort, after evaluating conditions such as sustained winds, wind gusts, available vegetation, and terrain.