Three U.S. Wildland Fire Service firefighters were killed Saturday while fighting the Snyder Mesa Fire in Mesa County, and Governor Jared Polis has declared a disaster emergency in response, the Governor’s Office said.

The fire has burned more than 28,000 acres. It crossed into Colorado from Utah and now sits in Mesa County, on the state’s Western Slope. The blaze was formed when three smaller fires — the Jones, Snyder Mesa, and Knowles fires — burned together. State officials are now calling the combined fire the Snyder Mesa Fire.

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Two other firefighters were hurt the same day and were flown to safety on a Bell 205 helicopter from the state’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control. Polis has authorized the Colorado National Guard to help recover the three firefighters who were killed.

“I’m devastated about the loss of three heroic firefighters who died in the line of duty in Western Colorado,” Polis said. “The men and women who serve on the front lines of these fires risk their lives to keep us safe and to protect the lands and communities we love. To the loved ones of those lost, and to their fellow crew members — some who are still battling the flames — know that the State of Colorado mourns alongside you.”

Polis said the state is working with the federal Bureau of Land Management and with local officials and firefighters to send any resources needed to fight the fire and to recover the three firefighters who were lost. “I am receiving continuous updates from my public safety team,” he said.

The Governor’s disaster declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan. It puts the Colorado Department of Public Safety in charge of fighting the fire, helping the area recover, and reducing further damage. Two state divisions are leading the work: the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, known as DHSEM, and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control, known as DFPC.

State and interagency fire engines, ground crews, and aircraft have been sent to the fire. Incident management teams are helping run the response on the ground. DFPC is also providing maps, aerial images, and fire behavior projections to help crews track where the fire is moving and where it may go next. DHSEM is working alongside the Mesa County emergency manager and is helping staff the county’s emergency operations center.