Three firefighters died over the weekend fighting a wildfire on the border of the US states of Utah and Colorado. The spread of flames is helped by high temperatures, strong winds and low air humidity, TASR writes, according to Monday’s AFP report.
Five firefighters were trapped in flames over the weekend, with three losing their lives and two others suffering burns, the US Wildland Fire Service said in a statement. The AP agency reported that it happened on Saturday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said wildfire conditions remain critical for the US Southwest and parts of the Great Basin region through Monday. According to AFP, Utah and Colorado are currently fighting more than ten fires that have affected an area of several hundred thousand acres.
Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox has banned the use of fireworks during the upcoming Independence Day, which Americans celebrate on July 4. Colorado Governor Jared Polis, in turn, declared a state of emergency to support firefighting efforts.
AFP explains that man-made climate change leads to more intense fires, in which rising temperatures and increasingly dry conditions create an environment prone to sparking flames.
