Overview
- Federal agencies confirmed three wildland firefighters died and two were hospitalized after a burnover during response to the Knowles and Gore fires that merged into the Snyder Fire.
- The burnover that overtook the crew occurred Saturday, June 27, and crews deployed emergency protective shelters while the wounded were evacuated to hospitals.
- The Snyder Fire has grown to roughly 28,000 acres with 0% containment and has prompted evacuation warnings, road closures, public‑land shutdowns and a Colorado disaster declaration.
- Separately, the Cottonwood Fire in southwest Utah has become the largest active blaze in the U.S., tearing through steep canyon terrain, damaging structures and driving precautionary power shutoffs and a Utah fireworks restriction.
- Officials said causes are under investigation, firefighting resources are stretched by multiple large fires and extreme weather, and investigators note a high share of this season’s starts are human‑caused which could carry legal consequences.