Fourth firefighter dies after Colorado wildfire burnover near Utah border
The Aspen Acres fire burns on July 3, 2026 in Rye, Colorado. Over 73,000 acres have burned in the Aspen Acres fire, making it the eighth biggest fire in Colorado history. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
A fourth firefighter has died after suffering severe burns when he and several fellow firefighters were overtaken by a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border last month, officials said Saturday.
Nathan Matthews, 43, died Friday, the federal Interior Department said in a release. He was from Lincoln, Nebraska.
What they're saying:
"This is another heartbreaking loss for our wildland fire family," said U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy.
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Dig deeper:
Matthews' death came nearly a month after he and other firefighters were enveloped June 27 in what's known as a burnover — a situation in which a fire spreads and closes off all escape routes. They were part of a Helitack crew — a group that gets dropped by helicopter into remote areas to try to squelch new, rapidly expanding fires — that had been deployed in Mesa County, Colorado, west of the city of Grand Junction.
The firefighters deployed tent-like emergency shelters to try to shield themselves from the flames, officials said, but three firefighters died at the scene: Emily Barker, 38, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson, 26.
Matthews and another were taken for medical treatment. There was no immediate update on the other injured firefighter's condition.
Watson, Hutcherson and Barker were honored at a memorial service earlier this month. Memorial arrangements for Matthews haven't yet been announced.
Big picture view:
The western U.S. has been contending with dozens of large fires this summer. Months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds have contributed to the blazes.
Firefighters were bracing Saturday for the possibility of worsening fires in Oregon, where a blaze near Bend was of particular concern because of its proximity to people.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which announced Nathan Matthews' death and provided details about the June 27 wildfire burnover in western Colorado. This story was reported from Los Angeles.