4th firefighter dies from injuries in western Colorado blaze in June - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported that a fourth firefighter has died from injuries suffered when a fast-moving wildfire overtook a crew near the Colorado-Utah border in late June. The U.S. Interior Department said Nathan Matthews, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, died Friday after being burned in the June 27 incident in Mesa County, Colorado, west of Grand Junction.

AP said Matthews was among firefighters who used emergency fire shelters when flames closed in. Three other members of the crew — Emily Barker, 38; Nick Hutcherson, 27; and Sydney Watson, 26 — died at the scene. The crew was identified as a Helitack team, a type of wildland firefighting unit transported by helicopter to remote fires. Another firefighter was also taken for treatment, but the Interior Department did not provide AP with details on that person’s condition, Matthews’ treatment or his career. Memorial plans for Matthews had not been announced; the three firefighters who died earlier were honored at a service earlier this month.

The death was reported as wildfires continued across the western United States and Canada. AP’s article also focused on a major lightning-caused fire near Sisters, Oregon, a city of about 3,000 people. As of Saturday, that fire had burned about 40 square miles and was 5% contained, with winds threatening to spread it. About 30 evacuees were staying at the local high school, while others remained nearby in recreational vehicles.

The incidents highlight the risks facing wildland firefighters during a severe fire season marked by dry weather, heat, low snowpack in some areas and shifting winds across parts of the West.