Three firefighters were killed on Saturday while responding to the Snyder Fire, a wildfire burning along the Utah-Colorado border, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service announced overnight.
Two other firefighters are being treated for burn injuries, the service said.
“Our immediate focus is on supporting their families, friends, and fellow crewmates during this incredibly difficult time,” the service said in a statement posted on social media, which lauded the firefighters’ “bravery, dedication, and sacrifice.”
Additional details about the firefighters were expected be shared as they are able to be released, the service said.
The Snyder Fire originally started as the Snyder Mesa Fire on Saturday morning in east Utah’s Grand County before crossing into Colorado, where it combined with the smaller Jones and Knowles Fires burning in Mesa County, Colorado, ultimately forming the Snyder Fire.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency declaration in response to the Snyder Fire on Saturday.
The Snyder Fire has currently burned an estimated 28,000 acres and is at 0% containment, triggering evacuation warnings for smaller communities in Mesa County, Colorado.
The fire was one of several blazes that were active in the Four Corners region on Saturday.
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