Key Facts

• Three firefighters died, and two were injured by burns during a wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border.
• The affected firefighters were from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service.
• The Knowles and Gore fires merged to create the Snyder Fire, which has burned about 44 square miles.
• Weather conditions included temperatures up to 93°F (34°C) and wind gusts up to 44 mph (71 kph).
• The firefighting agencies closed nearby public lands to keep people safe and asked residents to evacuate and wet the land.
• Wildfires are spreading rapidly in the western U.S. due to hot, dry, and windy weather and low humidity.
• A large fire in southwest Utah, the Cottonwood Fire, has burned over 144 square miles and damaged a ski resort.
• The dry conditions are worsened by Utah’s record-low snowpack and warmest winter, increasing fire risk across the West.