A helicopter unsuccessfully attempted to pick up five firefighters just before a fire overtook them, killing three of the firefighting crew and fatally injuring another on Colorado’s Western Slope, according to a preliminary report by federal investigators.
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The helicopter was unable to land because smoke in the area had reduced visibility to “near zero,” , and the firefighting crew instead attempted to deploy emergency shelters when the fire swept over them. The crew had reported a fire near them roughly 20 minutes before.
The firefighters were part of a helicopter-deployed team based in Garfield County that was fighting the Knowles fire in extreme conditions on June 27 in western Colorado. Firefighters Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson and Sydney Watson were killed in the burnover, which occurs when a fire overtakes firefighters or their equipment. Last week, firefighter Nathan Matthews died of the injuries he sustained in the incident. A fifth firefighter who was also injured is still recovering, fire officials wrote in the report.
The update provides the most detailed timeline about the incident yet released by federal officials, who are still investigating the deadly burnover. An initial crew of firefighters began staffing the fire at about 9:36 a.m. that day Around 12:30 p.m., a lightning strike lit a new fire near the Snyder Mesa and Jones fires, which were about eight miles east of the Knowles fire. The fires would all merge into the Snyder fire.
Shortly before 3 p.m., fire personnel discussed picking up the crew with a helicopter, according to the report, and the crew reported that there was a fire near their location. Ten minutes later, a helicopter was on its way to pick them up and expected to arrive within minutes.
The crew was working in extreme conditions, investigators said, that included strong winds between 30 mph and 50 mph and dry fuels. The fire spread at high rates throughout the afternoon, prompting the new ignition to merge into the other fires. The winds kept the smoke near ground level, “reducing visibility to near zero at the deployment site.”
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At 3:19 p.m., the helicopter was unable to land because of the smoke, and the crew on the ground deployed their fire shelters.
In an unsigned statement Friday morning, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service said it was continuing to investigate. In its update, investigators said they were continuing to “examine all aspects of the incident” and said the update “provides only verified preliminary facts and does not represent final findings or conclusions. Further details will be shared as appropriate once the full report is complete.”
On Thursday, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper called for an investigation into the fire from the Senate floor.
“These families deserve answers, and we need to understand what went wrong so we can prevent future tragedies,” Hickenlooper said.
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