MESA COUNTY, CO – A devastating wildland fire in western Colorado has claimed the lives of three firefighters and triggered the emergency evacuation of more than 120 people along the Colorado River.
Tragedy on the Frontlines
The U.S. Wildland Fire Service confirmed that three wildland firefighters were killed and two others injured when flames overtook them during initial attack operations. The blaze, now designated as the Snyder Fire, originally began as three separate fires, including the Knowles Fire where the tragedy occurred.
The fallen firefighters have been identified as:
- Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, Michigan (U.S. Forest Service Rifle Helitack)
- Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Arizona (U.S. Forest Service Kaibab National Forest)
- Sydney Watson, 27, of Warrior, Alabama (U.S. Wildland Fire Service Rifle Helitack)
Mass Evacuations Along Colorado River
Over the weekend of June 27, a complex multi-agency rescue operation successfully evacuated 123 river rafters, campers, and six dogs from the Loma and Westwater sections of the Colorado River. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office coordinated buses to safely transport the stranded groups out of the path of the fast-moving flames.
By June 29, the Snyder Fire had rapidly expanded to 28,264 acres and remains uncontained. Elsewhere in Colorado, the entire town of Beulah in Pueblo County was ordered to evacuate due to the separate Aspen Acres fire.
Critical Weather Warning
The National Weather Service has issued a critical fire weather warning for June 30 across the Colorado River Valley and the Great Basin. Forecasters warn that wind gusts of up to 35 mph combined with soaring temperatures and ongoing drought will create extreme fire behavior, making containment efforts highly difficult.
With more than 106 million Americans currently under heat and fire warnings, local officials across Western states are strictly enforcing fire and fireworks bans ahead of the July 4th holiday.
