Rifle Helitack crew

A new report from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service details extreme conditions during a deadly burnover event near the Colorado-Utah border that killed four firefighters. The incident involved rapid fire spread due to dry fuels and strong winds, merging with existing fires and leaving crews less than 30 minutes to respond before entrapment.

A new report details the deadly burnover event near the Colorado-Utah border in late June, where four firefighters were killed and one injured due to rapidly spreading wildfires. The incident involved the Rifle Helitack crew responding to the Knowles and Gore fires, which merged with the Snyder Fire under extreme conditions, leading to a fatal entrapment within 30 minutes of initial fire detection.

A fourth wildland firefighter, Nathan Matthews, died from burn injuries sustained during a burnover incident on the Knowles Fire in western Colorado. Three other firefighters died at the scene, and an investigation continues into the incident.

Three federal firefighters were killed in Mesa County while battling the Snyder fire. Two of the firefighters were part of the Rifle Helitack crew assigned to the Knowles and Gore fires, which were overtaken by a fire that originated in Utah.