(NewsNation) — Federal officials have identified the three wildland firefighters killed while fighting a wildfire in western Colorado.
The firefighters were Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, Michigan; Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Arizona; and Sydney Watson, 27, of Warrior, Alabama.
All three were assigned to the Rifle Helitack crew and were conducting initial attack operations on the Knowles Fire on June 27 when a wind-driven run of flame cut off their escape route. They deployed emergency fire shelters, a last-resort safety measure, but did not survive. Two other firefighters were injured and are receiving medical care…