3 firefighters killed, 2 injured as wildfires rage along Colorado-Utah border
Three firefighters were killed and two others injured Saturday while battling wildfires on the Colorado-Utah border. The crew was caught in a 'burnover incident' as extreme conditions fuel multiple blazes.
Three firefighters were killed and two others injured Saturday while they tackled wildfires on the Colorado-Utah border, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service announced. The crew members had been part of an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires.
The Department of the Interior said the five firefighters were involved in a "burnover incident," which happens when firefighters are overtaken and have to shelter while a fire passes directly over them.
The largest blaze, the Cottonwood Fire in southern Utah's Beaver County, has grown to more than 92,000 acres. The Snyder Fire covers more than 28,000 acres. Extreme conditions including single-digit humidity and wind gusts of around 45 mph have hampered firefighting efforts.