Officials release names of three firefighters killed in Colorado wildfire

The US Department of Interior on Monday released the names of three firefighters who were killed while working to contain wildfires along the Utah-Colorado border. Two other firefighters who were part of the specialized helicopter-deployed crew were also injured in the blaze, although authorities did not identify them. Thirty-eight-year-old Emily Barker of Michigan, 27-year-old Nick Hutcherson of Arizona and 27-year-old Sydney Watson of Alabama were killed on Saturday as they fought the Knowles fire in western Colorado. The crew attempted to use tent-like shelters to guard themselves from the fires but were overcome, according to the Associated Press . Thousands of firefighters have been deployed across western US states and Alaska to fight a series of wildfires this month, which have spread as dry, hot weather along with high winds helped fuel their growth. Utah’s governor Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency last week and a ban on personal fireworks until after the Fourth of July in response to the dangerous conditions. Colorado governor Jared Polis on Saturday announced a similar state of emergency. The three firefighters killed over the weekend were part of a Helitack crew that provides rapid response to wildfires, often by being dropped by in remote locations that are otherwise inaccessible. …