By admin 
GRAND JUNCTION, CO (AZFamily) — Wildland firefighters gathered Sunday to pay tribute to three of their own, including one from Arizona, who died after they were trapped by flames while battling fast-moving wildfires near the Colorado-Utah border.
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A memorial service for Nick Hutcherson, Emily Barker and Sydney Watson was held at 11 a.m. Sunday at Las Colonias Park Amphitheater in Grand Junction, Colorado.
“They showed up to make order out of chaos day after day with purpose, dedication and heart,” U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy said during the service.
Photos of the firefighters were set up on the stage at the memorial service alongside flowers and flags.
They worked jobs that require courage, selflessness, strength and heart, said Sarah Fisher, the U.S. Forest Service’s deputy chief for fire and aviation management.
“The work demands long days, heavy burdens and quiet acts of bravery,” she said. “We will remember them, we will honor their legacy and we will carry their light forward.”
Remembering Nick Hutcherson
Hutcherson, 27, was from Glendale and was assigned to the Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona. He was brought back to Arizona on Thursday in a dignified transfer after his death in the line of duty.
The Kaibab National Forest said it is heartbroken over Hutcherson’s death, saying he exemplified the agency’s commitment to public service and the courage wildland firefighters bring to the job.
Hutcherson served in the U.S. Navy and had plans to become a doctor of physical therapy. He was also an active member of the Northern Arizona Deaf and American Sign Language community and trained in Muay Thai at Southside Combat Academy in Flagstaff.
The academy described Hutcherson as a warrior and said it is forever grateful to have known him.
“We lost a good one,” read a social media post. “If you met Nick, you loved Nick. He was such a gentle and genuine soul. We are still in disbelief.”
What happened
Hutcherson, Barker and Watson were killed June 27 when they were overcome by flames from fast-moving fires in Colorado. Two other firefighters sustained burn injuries.
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Officials said the firefighters deployed emergency protective shelters, which are considered a last resort when crews have no other way out.
The three were assigned to a Helitack crew, which can be dropped into remote areas by helicopter to attack new fires before they grow out of control.
Flags will be flown at half-staff at all USDA and Forest Service units for the next week in honor of the firefighters.
The full memorial service can be watched below.
Remembering Emily Barker
Barker, 38, was from Clinton, Michigan. A friend and former roommate, Sarah Brubeck Schnurbusch, said Barker had a powerful spirit and made those around her want to be better.
“I’ve never seen someone so excited to go to work,” Brubeck Schnurbusch said.
She said Barker loved hiking, skiing, dirt biking, hockey and firefighting. She also helped pave the way for many women in the industry.
“I just hope that Emily knows the impact that she left on everybody else, and how many people really truly love her,” Brubeck Schnurbusch said.
Remembering Sydney Watson
Watson, 27, was from Warrior, Alabama, and graduated from the University of Tennessee Southern, according to the university. She was a former pitcher on the softball team and was remembered as “a quiet, composed leader.”
Watson was assigned to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service Rifle Helitack crew.
In 2023, Watson participated in a program in North Carolina organized by the Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges. In her application, she wrote that she wanted to see more women on the fire line and wanted to work with and learn from other women in the fire industry.
“It’s hard for people outside of the firefighting world to understand why we do what we do. We do it because we love it. Sydney loved it,” the group wrote.
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