Headlines Monday, June 29, 2026
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Colorado’s Primary Election is tomorrow; Snyder Fire claims the lives of three firefighters; High summer temps impact urban & rural communities KGNU News
Colorado’s Primary Election is tomorrow
Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 30, is Colorado’s primary election, and a lot of key races are on the ballot from governor to Congress.
At the top of the ticket, Democratic Senator Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser are competing in a tight race to be the nominee for governor. Republicans have a three-way race between state lawmakers Scott Bottoms and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and political outsider Victor Marx.
On the congressional side, longtime Democratic Congresswoman Dianna DeGette in Denver is trying to fend off two challengers.
The state’s true tossup — Colorado’s District 8 — has two Democrats hoping to take on incumbent Republican Gabe Evans this fall and flip one of the most competitive seats in the country.
Ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. Tuesday through an official drop box or at a vote center.
Snyder Fire claims the lives of three firefighters
The Snyder Fire burning in Mesa County claimed the lives of three firefighters this weekend after the fire quickly spread due to high winds.
On Saturday, June 27, 2 wildfires crossed the Utah-Colorado Border into Mesa County. By Sunday morning, increased wind meant merging Jones and Snyder fires within the county had burned a total of 28,000 acres.
In addition to the three Wildland Fire Service firefighters who lost their lives, two others were injured after sheltering from the fires crossing the border. Mesa County Sheriff’s Office evacuated campers from the banks of the Colorado River on Saturday night.
Governor Polis says the two injured firefighters were transported out of the area by helicopter and are being treated.
In a statement reported by the Colorado Sun, Polis said, “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.”
The Bureau of Land Management says the Snyder Fire is estimated to be 0% contained.
Following his statement on the firefighters who lost their lives, Polis declared a disaster emergency for the Gold Mountain Fire, which has burned along steep terrain near the town of Ouray, Colorado.
The declaration activates multiple state departments prepared to provide resources and firefighting in the area. At this time, there are no reported evacuations for the town of Ouray.
High summer temps impact urban & rural communities
It’s been a hot start to summer in the Rocky Mountains, with long-term forecasts pointing to higher-than-average temperatures for the rest of the season.
Bigger cities often experience extreme heat due to the urban heat island effect, due to fewer green spaces and more surfaces that absorb heat easily.
But rural areas are often vulnerable to heat due to different reasons, like older populations or high concentrations of people who work outside, whether in agriculture or recreation.
Marguerite Harden with the Colorado Resiliency Office says the state has been doing lots of work to support the state’s rural areas with heat.
Harden says, “Part of the reason that we’ve seen increasing demand for extreme heat support is an increasing number of hot days and heat waves in recent decades. So seven of Colorado’s top 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 2010, and we know that further and significant warming is expected in all parts of Colorado in all seasons over the next several decades.”
The state helps rural communities develop heat action plans, and helps provide funding and resources for heat mitigation.
That includes planting trees in towns to create more shade, building with heat-resistant building materials, and creating shade structures and cooling shelters.
This story was reported by Rocky Mountain Community Radio.
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