Daily News for June 29, 2026

Forest Fires

3 firefighters killed, 2 injured while tackling wildfires on the Colorado-Utah border

Associated Press in ABC News
June 28, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

BEAVER, Utah — Three firefighters died and two were injured while tackling fires on the Colorado-Utah border, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service reported Sunday. The agency — created earlier this year to streamline firefighting and fire reduction across public lands — said the firefighters had been part of an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires on Saturday. …The largest blaze, the Cottonwood Fire, was burning in rugged terrain in southwest Utah. It ballooned Saturday to more than 144 square miles (373 square kilometers) after marching through canyons and mountainsides, destroying part of a ski resort and other summer cabins along the way. …The danger is even higher this year because of Utah’s record-low snowpack and its warmest winter on record. …Nationally, nearly 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) have burned since the start of the year. That is more than the 10-year average.

Read More