Wildfire Tragedy & Response: Gov. Polis, Sen. Hickenlooper, and Sen. Bennet met in Fruita as the Snyder Fire complex surged along the Colorado-Utah border, after three federal wildland firefighters died in a burnover; identities were released and officials said two others were injured and stable. Air Quality Alerts: Smoke and ozone pushed health alerts across the Front Range and into Boulder County, with residents urged to limit outdoor activity—especially kids, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions. Fire Danger Escalates Locally: Red Flag Warnings and evacuations spread as fires burned tens of thousands of acres statewide, including the Aspen Acres fire in southeast Colorado. Public Safety Closures: Rocky Mountain National Park issued a full fire ban, and the Colorado River from Fruita to the Utah line was closed to boating and recreation to keep people out of the way of firefighting. Policy & Environment: Colorado became the first state with a statewide law for EV battery reuse, repurposing, and recycling, and the House advanced grid and cybersecurity bills. Science & Nature: A new study suggests Earth may host 14–20 million insect species, far above older estimates.