MESA COUNTY, Colo. — Three federal firefighters were killed and two were injured Saturday in a wildfire burning near the Colorado-Utah state line, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
In a release, the department said it happened in a burnover incident resulting in shelter deployment.
The firefighters were assigned to the Knowles and Gore fires near the states' border.
The two injured firefighters are being treated for burn injuries, according to the department.
The identities of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service firefighters are being withheld pending notifications.
Governor Jared Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency Saturday, authorizing the National Guard in Mesa County.
According to his office, the Jones, Snyder Mesa, and Knowles Fires combined and are now the Snyder Mesa Fire, which has burned more than 28,000 acres.
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