WASHINGTON: Three firefighters have died battling fierce blazes along the Utah-Colorado border, driven by high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity.

Dangerous weather conditions are compounding a fire season made worse by historically low snowpack, with more than a dozen blazes burning across hundreds of thousands of acres in the two states.

Five firefighters were trapped in a fire over the weekend, with three losing their lives and two others treated for burn injuries, the US Wildland Fire Service said in a statement.

“Wildfire conditions remain critical for the Southwest and portions of the Great Basin through on Monday,” the National Weather Service said in an update.

Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox announced a ban on fireworks during the upcoming July 4 Independence Day holiday, while Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency.

Human-caused climate ch­a­­nge is driving longer fire seasons and more intense blazes, as rising tem­­peratures and arid conditions create landscapes primed to burn.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2026