'It's Just Heartbreaking': Colorado Leaders, Fire Officials Discuss Deadly Snyder Fire
The U.S. Wildland Fire Service said the three died in a burnover while using tent-like shelters, and two other firefighters were injured.
- On Saturday, three firefighters—Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, Michigan; Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Arizona; and Sydney Watson, 27, of Warrior, Alabama—died in a burnover incident while battling the Snyder Fire on the Colorado-Utah border.
- Lightning sparked the Snyder Fire last week near the Colorado-Utah border, which exhibited extreme fire behavior Sunday and merged with the Jones, Knowles, and Gore fires, growing to more than 30,200 acres by Tuesday with 0% containment.
- Barker was the first woman to win Colorado's Snowmaker of the Year award in 2015 while at Vail Mountain. Her siblings described her as 'fun-loving and reliable as she was brave' and a beloved mentor to colleagues.
- Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency Saturday and authorized the National Guard to assist with recovery efforts. U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy said the firefighters 'embodied the courage, professionalism and selflessness that define the wildland fire service.'
- A Complex Incident Management Team assumed command Monday at 6 p.m. to coordinate fire suppression as the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning through June 30. Federal agencies launched investigations to develop recommendations preventing similar burnover incidents.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Three firefighters killed battling Colorado-Utah border fire
Three wildland firefighters were killed, and two others were injured Saturday after they were overtaken by rapidly changing fire conditions while battling a wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border.The firefighters were part of a five-person Rifle Helitack crew responding to the Knowles Fire during initial attack operations in western Colorado. Officials said the crew became trapped in a burnover, a dangerous situation in which advancing flames cu…
Family mourns firefighter Emily Barker killed in Utah-Colorado border wildfire
Rosemary Barker's last communication from her daughter Emily was on Mother's Day when Emily sent her mother a card that she had made years ago at camp."It was cute. It had pedals from a flower that they glued onto a card and she wrote me a beautiful note," Barker said. Watch Evan Sery's video report below: Michigan family mourns firefighter Emily Barker killed in Utah-Colorado border wildfireThat note will now hold a new kind of meaning. Emily B…
Massive US heatwave threatens millions as 3 firefighters die battling Colorado wildfire
A record-setting heat dome is spreading across the central and eastern United States, threatening millions of workers and their families with deadly temperatures, wildfire smoke, power grid strain and unsafe workplaces.
Three firefighters killed in Colorado wildfire as governor declares disaster emergency
Western Colorado's fast-moving Snyder Mesa Fire has claimed the lives of three firefighters trying to battle back the blaze. After the fire burned more than 28,000 acres, Gov. Jared Polis has declared a disaster emergency as crews keep working to contain the threat. What happened? The fire moved into Colorado from Utah and became the larger Snyder Mesa Fire after the Jones, Snyder Mesa, and Knowles fires merged. Citing the Governor's Office, Kio…
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