Helicopter was unable to rescue firefighters in deadly Colorado wildfire due to heavy smoke, report finds

Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Wildfire guides: How to prepare | Recreation: Know before you go A helicopter dispatched to rescue five federal firefighters trapped by a rapidly growing wildfire in western Colorado was unable to land because of heavy smoke, according to a preliminary federal report released Thursday on the June burnover that killed four crew members. Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, Michigan; Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Arizona; and Sydney Watson, 27, of Warrior, Alabama, were killed June 27 after being overtaken by rapidly spreading flames while battling lightning-caused wildfires near the Colorado-Utah border west of Grand Junction. Nathan Matthews, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, later died from injuries suffered in the burnover . A fifth firefighter was also injured.

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