NPR News: 07-03-2026 11AM EDT

Speaker 10:00

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Windsor Johnston· Host0:15

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Fourth of July celebrations are being scaled back in parts of the country amid extreme heat and dangerous fire conditions. In Colorado, communities are canceling fireworks as several large wildfires continue to burn. Stina Seig from Colorado Public Radio reports people are being urged not to set off their own personal fireworks.

Stina Seig0:42

The Gold Mountain fires forced evacuations outside the picturesque mountain town of Ouray. Evacuated local Belinda Willis was horrified to see people lighting a bonfire on a recent night and urges everyone to celebrate the Fourth safely.

Belinda Willis· Soundbite0:57

Don't think of yourself. Think of others. We cannot go into this like, "Oh, it's my Fourth of July, and it should be wonderful," because it's not wonderful right now.

Stina Seig1:09

Yeah.

Belinda Willis· Soundbite1:10

We're in the middle of a crisis.

Stina Seig1:11

To the east, a huge blaze near Pueblo has destroyed homes and remains a top firefighting priority in the country. Over the weekend, three firefighters died in a fire near the Utah border. For NPR News, I'm Stina Seig in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Windsor Johnston· Host1:27

The FBI is directing more than two hundred