Nathan Matthews was the fourth firefighter killed while battling a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border.
Nathan Matthews, a 43-year-old firefighter from Lincoln, Nebraska, died on Friday after being caught in a "burnover" near Grand Junction, Colorado. The federal Interior Department confirmed that Matthews was part of a Helitack crew that was enveloped by flames on June 27 when a rapidly expanding fire closed off all escape routes. While the crew deployed emergency shelters to shield themselves from the heat, three other firefighters—Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson—died at the scene. Matthews and one other crew member were transported for medical treatment, though the Interior Department did not disclose his specific treatment details or current status. U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy described the death as a heartbreaking loss for the wildland fire family. The western United States continues to face dozens of large fires this summer due to a combination of dry weather, hot spells, and erratic winds. Firefighters are currently monitoring several active blazes, including a significant fire near Bend, Oregon.