New report provides insight into how Arizona firefighter, 3 colleagues were killed while battling Knowles Fire in Colorado

The U.S. Interior Department released a report Thursday detailing the findings of an in-depth investigation into how a wildfire in western Colorado took the lives of an Arizona firefighter and three of his crewmates earlier this year.

The interagency investigation examined how Nick Hutcherson, who is from Glendale, Arizona, and four other wildland firefighters were overtaken by the Knowles Fire on June 27 and looked at ways to avoid future tragedies in similar situations. Only one of the crewmembers survived.

“While there is nothing on this earth that can eliminate the profound loss and severe grief that their families, crewmembers and the whole Interior family feels from their loss, we honor them by better understanding the circumstances of this fire and searching for every modern technological improvement to better support our firefighters,” Deputy Interior Secretary Kate MacGregor said in a news release. “That is a priority for the department, and this report will help inform that work.”

The investigation was conducted by the Knowles Serious Accident Investigation Team, which included experts from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, U.S. Forest Service and other agencies.

The report concluded that multiple factors combined to create the deadly conditions, including:

• Extreme fire behavior
• Strained communications infrastructure
• Fragmented airspace awareness
• Jurisdictional complexity
• Local expectations of fire spread
• Incomplete situational awareness

“No single decision or system failure fully explains the outcome. Instead, the events reveal the cumulative effects of known limitations operating under extraordinary tempo and conditions,” the report says.

Fallen Arizona firefighter was on two-week assignment with Colorado crew

Hutcherson, 27, was on a two-week assignment with Rifle Helitack when the crew was deployed from its base in Rifle, Colorado, to the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area to battle the Knowles and Gore fires.

Hutcherson had been a member of the Pitman Valley Helitack crew out of Williams, Arizona, since 2023 and a wildland firefighter with the Kaibab National Forest for five years.

Hutcherson, Emily Barker and Sydney Watson died from airway injuries when flames entrapped them and two other firefighters. The two survivors were airlifted to a Denver burn center, where Nathan Matthews succumbed to his injuries nearly a month later on July 24. The surviving crewmember is still recovering from the ordeal.

The report included sections dedicated to each of the fallen firefighters. The section on Hutcherson, who served in the U.S. Navy, called him “a man who met challenge with optimism, humility, curiosity and an unmistakable smile.”

“To the families of our fallen heroes, Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, Nathan Matthews and Sydney Watson: We know that there are no words to refill your hearts of the loss of your dearly loved ones. It is our duty to always remember their service and sacrifice,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in the news release.

Related

Oak Creek reopens Thursday near Sedona after Pocket Fire, with more sites back Oct. 1Interior secretary says Dragon Bravo Fire contributed to deadly Grand Canyon floodingSan Carlos Apache fire crew member dies while supporting fight against Frijoles FireMan suspected of setting wildfire in Washington served time in Arizona for killing fatherPocket Fire burn scar keeps Slide Rock swimming area closed through SeptemberWith Pocket Fire near Sedona 100% contained, officials significantly reduce closure area