It’s been more than three months since a fire in Western Colorado killed four members of a Rifle Helitack team and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper is still pushing for answers as to what happened.
Hickenlooper joined three other Senators in penning a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum calling for an investigation into the deaths of firefighters Emily Barker, Nathan Matthews, Nick Hutcherson and Sydney Watson. They died responding to the Knowles fire in Mesa County, which became known as the Snyder fire after it merged with other burns. A fifth firefighter was injured.
“This year has seen the highest number of entrapments in two decades, as well as the deaths of 13 federal wildland firefighters, pilots, and contractors in incidents across the West. Now is the time to examine the policies that can help us avoid any additional devastating losses,” the senators wrote in their letter.
A preliminary report on the deaths was published July 30. It noted high winds the day the firefighters were entrapped by the blaze. A helicopter was sent to rescue the firefighters on the ground but was unable to land due to the conditions. The senators noted the firefighters may have been at greater risk because of federal policies that take a more aggressive approach to suppressing fires.
Stina Sieg/CPR NewsSmoke from large wildfires, burning on the Utah/Colorado border, seen from Fruita. June 27, 2026.
“Notably, the National Incident Management Situation Report issued the morning of the Rifle Helitack Crew’s deployment, predicted wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour, low humidity, and a likelihood of severe impacts,” the letter said. “Still, the Rifle Helitack Crew was inserted into the fire two hours later. And the crew remained on the ground, despite new ignitions, strong winds, and near-zero visibility, according to the preliminary reports from the ongoing investigation of this incident.”
Hickenlooper, along with Sen. Mark Kelly and Sen. Ruben Gallego, both of Arizona and Sen. Gary Peters, of Michigan, asked for a review of firefighting policies. The four Democrats specifically asked for review of “full suppression” tactics, direct attack strategies, prioritizing firefighter safety and shifts in management structure.
“While it is critical to protect communities at risk of wildfire, it is notable that the Knowles Fire was several miles away from the nearest town when the Rifle Helitack Crew was deployed. We call on Interior to closely examine whether value is added by presuming full suppression at all times, rather than assessing the risks to life, property, and resource values before determining the approach to any given fire,” the letter said.
The initial report on the accident was released hours after Hickenlooper took to the Senate floor to call for an investigation into the deaths. According to the senators’ letter, a final report is overdue.
Travis Perkins for CPR NewsThe Gold Mountain fire burns in Ouray County. June 27, 2026.
“As of the writing of this letter, requests for a briefing on the status of this investigation have not been filled, and no new information has been provided since the issuance of a July 30th update on the investigation,” the letter said.
The federal agency that publishes the reports has not yet responded to questions about the timeline of a final analysis of the incident.
In total, five wildland firefighters died this summer in Colorado. In addition to the deaths in Mesa County, a helicopter pilot, Nicholas Dale, died while working on the Gold Mountain fire. A preliminary report on that crash was published by the National Transportation Safety Board in August.
