United States of America

Firefighters Killed Battling Colorado Wildfire

Are worsening wildfires an urgent climate crisis or the result of poor land management and human settlement?

Published JUN 29

Firefighters Killed Battling Colorado Wildfire

Story

Above: Firefighters in Marin County train during a prescribed burn in San Rafael, Calif. on June 17. Image credit: Heather Diehl/Getty Images

The Facts

Three firefighters were killed and two others sustained burn injuries on Saturday during a burnover incident in Mesa County, Colorado, while responding to the Knowles and Gore fires along the Colorado-Utah border. The responders worked for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and the U.S. Forest Service.
Huffington Post
Breitbart
A burnover occurs when fire spreads rapidly and cuts off all escape routes, forcing firefighters to deploy emergency shelter tents as a last resort. The Knowles and Gore fires merged with others to form the Snyder Fire, which burned approximately 44 square miles (113 sq km) with 0% containment.
Newsmax
BBC News
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster on Saturday and authorized the National Guard to assist with firefighting efforts. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also declared a state of emergency and issued a statewide ban on fireworks ahead of the July Fourth holiday.
CNN
Breitbart
The Cottonwood Fire, the largest active wildfire in the U.S. at the time, burned more than 146 square miles in rugged terrain in southwest Utah by Sunday, destroying part of a ski resort and remaining 0% contained. Utah had 12 large wildfires burning as of Sunday, none of them contained.
The New York Times
INQUIRER.net
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for the Four Corners region, citing wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph (64 to 80 kph) and relative humidity levels as low as 7% to 15%. Utah's record-low snowpack and its warmest winter on record have contributed to heightened fire danger across the West.
NBC
FOX 13 News Utah
Since the beginning of the year, nearly 3 million acres have burned across the country, surpassing the 10-year average. At least three dozen wildfires across the U.S. were classified as uncontained as of Sunday, including blazes in Nevada, Arizona and across the desert Southwest.
guardian
Saudigazette

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The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

Climate change is turning the West into a tinderbox, and three dead firefighters on the Colorado-Utah border prove the cost of ignoring it. Record-low snowpack, the warmest winter on record and historic drought created conditions even veteran firefighters say they've never seen before. Wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive, and that trajectory won't reverse without confronting the root cause head-on.

Ben Ray Luján on X

The New York Times

Shining Science on X

Climate-skeptic narrative

It's summer in the U.S., so heatwaves and wildfires will inevitably occur. It's vital to keep in mind the myriad reasons that destructive fires take place, including human settlement patterns and poor forest management. Ascribing climate change as the root cause of every fire disaster is unhelpful alarmism that distracts from more sound policies.