A fourth firefighter died after battling the Knowles Fire in western Colorado earlier this month, the Department of the Interior said Friday.
The firefighter, Nathan Matthews, 43, of the Wildland Fire Service in Lincoln, Nebraska, was one of five who were involved in a “burnover incident” on June 27. A burnover is when a fire moves so quickly through a location that it overtakes personnel and equipment to the point there’s no way to use escape routes or safety zones.
Three other firefighters — Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, Michigan; Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Arizona; and Sydney Watson, 27, of Warrior, Alabama, died at the scene. Two, including Matthews, were injured.
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The Interior Department said in an emailed statement to Straight Arrow that it is not releasing information about the fifth firefighter’s condition “out of respect for the privacy of the injured firefighter and the family.”
At the time of his death, Matthews was receiving medical care for his burn injuries, the Interior Department said.
“This is another heartbreaking loss for our wildland fire family,” U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy said in a statement. “We mourn the loss of Nate while continuing to grieve the deaths of Emily, Nick and Sydney. Our hearts are with their families, friends, crewmates and everyone impacted by this tragedy.”
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the tragedy is “a solemn reminder of the risks our wildland firefighters take every day to protect our communities, our public lands, and the American people.”
“Their service and sacrifice mean more than words can express,” Burgum said.
A serious accident investigation team is reviewing the circumstances around the firefighters’ deaths.
As of Sunday, fire crews are working to contain 90 large fires across the U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center, including 10 new large incidents since Saturday.
There are 5,310 firefighters and support personnel, 565 crews, 1,501 engines, 141 helicopters, and 27 complex incident management teams fighting the blazes.
In 2026, 42,157 fires have burned more than 4 million acres in the U.S. Currently, large fires are being reported in Oregon, Minnesota, California, Washington, Idaho, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Utah, Wyoming, Virginia, South Carolina and Montana, the National Interagency Fire Center said.
Last Sunday, the United States’ Wildfire Preparedness Level was raised to a five out of five — the highest level it can be.
A Preparedness Level 5 means that national resources are already heavily committed to fires in multiple areas, and additional measures are being taken to support certain areas, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
“Active geographic areas must take emergency measures to sustain incident operations,” the National Interagency Fire Center’s website says. “Inactive/low activity geographic areas are reaching drawdown levels.”
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