Fourth firefighter dies from burns received in June during Colorado wildfire operation | Colorado
A fourth firefighter died of burns after he and several colleagues were exposed to a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border last month, authorities said Saturday.
In the statement made by the US Department of Internal Affairs, it was stated that 43-year-old Nathan Matthews died on Friday. He was from Lincoln, Nebraska.
“This is another heartbreaking loss for our wildland fire family,” said Brian Fennessy, chief of the U.S. wildfire service.
Matthews’ death came nearly a month after he and other firefighters were engulfed in a condition known as burnout — a condition in which a fire spreads and blocks all escape routes — on June 27. They were part of a helitack team assigned to Mesa County, Colorado, west of the city of Grand Junction, a group dropped by helicopter into remote areas to fight new and rapidly expanding fires.
Officials said firefighters set up tent-like emergency shelters to protect themselves from the flames, but three firefighters died at the scene: Emily Barker, 38; Nick Hutcherson, 27; and Sydney Watson, 26.
Matthews and another were taken for medical treatment. There has been no development yet regarding the condition of the other injured firefighter.
Watson, Hutcherson and Barker were honored at a memorial ceremony earlier this month. Memorial arrangements for Matthews have not yet been announced.
The western United States is battling dozens of major wildfires this summer. Months of dry weather, record snowfall in some areas, hot temperatures and erratic winds contributed to the fires.
Firefighters were preparing Saturday for the possibility of worsening fires in Oregon, where a blaze near Bend was of particular concern because of its proximity to people.
