Five federal firefighters were involved in a burnover incident on June 27 while working a wildfire in western Colorado, and three did not survive. Two others are being treated for burn injuries after the incident, which happened as Colorado wildfires continue to strain crews near the Colorado-Utah border.
The firefighters were assigned to the Knowles and Gore fires when the burnover occurred. The Department of the Interior said the public should keep drones away from wildfires as activity intensifies across the nation.
Knowles and Gore fires
The five firefighters were on assignment at the Knowles and Gore fires near the Colorado-Utah border when the burnover happened on Saturday, June 27. The U.S. Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service firefighters involved have not been identified yet because their identities are being withheld pending notifications.
The sequence is plain: one incident on June 27, two injured, three dead. That leaves families, crews and land managers waiting on the next round of information while the agencies begin handling the immediate aftermath.
U.S. Wildland Fire Service response
The U.S. Wildland Fire Service announced immediate measures to reduce wildland firefighter exposure to smoke and other harmful contaminants. The Department of the Interior also urged the public to keep drones away from wildfires, a warning aimed at keeping the airspace clear for crews working the fires.
Those steps sit alongside the unresolved question at the center of the case: what caused the burnover incident on the western Colorado wildfire. The agencies have said additional information will be released when it becomes available, and the firefighters’ identities will remain withheld until notifications are complete.
