The bodies of three firefighters were transported to a Colorado airport by helicopter, where their soot-covered colleagues took them to the coroner’s office. Wildfires are ravaging the arid Southwest following a warm winter.
According to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, three firefighters died on Saturday, and two were injured in a blaze sweeping the Utah-Colorado border. They were assisting with the Knowles and Gore wildfires. Multiple agencies have sent firefighters to western Colorado, where these fires merged with the Snyder fire, consuming 28,000 acres.
Over the past week, wildfires have scorched the Southwest. The area has experienced warmer winters, low snowpack, and high winds, which have made the arid landscape more combustible. Fires have spread to Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.
In Colorado, flames swiftly overpowered federal firefighters as they attempted to seek shelter from the intense heat and smoke, as noted by the Department of Interior.
At the Grand Junction Regional Airport, a medevac helicopter touched down around 9:30 a.m. Sunday amidst strong winds stretching flags toward the east. More than a dozen firefighters from various agencies were present, standing with gurneys on the tarmac in anticipation.
The crew stood respectfully while the bodies, covered with flags, were moved from the helicopter to the coroner’s vans. Those driving stepped aside to allow fellow firefighters from the fireline, covered in soot, to transport their fallen comrades.
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