Federal officials released the identities on June 29 of three firefighters who died while responding to a destructive fire in western Colorado.
The U.S. Forest Service firefighters were killed on June 27 while engaging in initial attack operations on the Knowles fire.
They were assigned to the Rifle Helitack crew, a specialized wildland fire team based in Colorado that uses helicopters to reach remote fires, according to fire officials.
Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, Mich., was assigned to the Forest Service’s helitack crew.
Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Ariz., was assigned to the Forest Service’s Kaibab National Forest.
Sydney Watson, 27, of Warrior, Ala., was also assigned to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service’s Rifle helitack crew….