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3 firefighters die battling fires on Colorado-Utah border
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- Three firefighters died and two were injured while battling the Knowles and Gore fires on the Colorado-Utah border, according to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service.
- The Cottonwood Fire in southwest Utah expanded to over 144 square miles, destroying parts of a ski resort and summer cabins amid rugged terrain that hindered firefighting efforts.
- Utah is experiencing one of its most severe wildfire seasons due to record-low snowpack, historic drought, and critical fire weather, leading Governor Spencer Cox to declare an emergency and ban fireworks ahead of July Fourth.
- Colorado also declared an emergency and deployed the National Guard as multiple large wildfires continue across the western U.S., with nearly 3 million acres burned nationally this year, exceeding the 10-year average.
- Power shutoffs were implemented in parts of northern Arizona and Utah to reduce wildfire risk, reflecting growing preventive measures amid extreme fire conditions and widespread red flag warnings.
