{"id":3110,"date":"2026-07-06T05:34:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T05:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3110"},"modified":"2026-07-06T05:34:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T05:34:31","slug":"arizona-firefighter-killed-battling-colorado-wildfire-remembered-at-memorial-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3110","title":{"rendered":"Arizona firefighter killed battling Colorado wildfire remembered at memorial service"},"content":{"rendered":"
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GRAND JUNCTION, CO (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

Read more Forward progress stopped on Sunnvale Fire in Pinal County river bottom<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey showed up to make order out of chaos day after day with purpose, dedication and heart,\u201d U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy said during the service. <\/p>\n

Photos of the firefighters were set up on the stage at the memorial service alongside flowers and flags.<\/p>\n

They worked jobs that require courage, selflessness, strength and heart, said Sarah Fisher, the U.S. Forest Service\u2019s deputy chief for fire and aviation management.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work demands long days, heavy burdens and quiet acts of bravery,\u201d she said. \u201cWe will remember them, we will honor their legacy and we will carry their light forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remembering Nick Hutcherson<\/h4>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The Kaibab National Forest said it is heartbroken over Hutcherson\u2019s death, saying he exemplified the agency\u2019s commitment to public service and the courage wildland firefighters bring to the job.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The academy described Hutcherson as a warrior and said it is forever grateful to have known him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lost a good one,\u201d read a social media post. \u201cIf you met Nick, you loved Nick. He was such a gentle and genuine soul. We are still in disbelief.\u201d<\/p>\n

What happened<\/h4>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Read more Extreme Heat Warning mid-week; Storm chances later<\/a><\/p>\n

Officials said the firefighters deployed emergency protective shelters, which are considered a last resort when crews have no other way out.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Flags will be flown at half-staff at all USDA and Forest Service units for the next week in honor of the firefighters.<\/p>\n

The full memorial service can be watched below. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Remembering Emily Barker<\/h4>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen someone so excited to go to work,\u201d Brubeck Schnurbusch said.<\/p>\n

She said Barker loved hiking, skiing, dirt biking, hockey and firefighting. She also helped pave the way for many women in the industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just hope that Emily knows the impact that she left on everybody else, and how many people really truly love her,\u201d Brubeck Schnurbusch said.<\/p>\n

Remembering Sydney Watson<\/h4>\n

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 \u201ca quiet, composed leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watson was assigned to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service Rifle Helitack crew.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d the group wrote.<\/p>\n

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? <\/i>Please click here to report it<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send <\/i>it to us here<\/i> with a brief description.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more Deputies respond to fatal motorcycle crash in Pima County<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Glendale firefighter Nick Hutcherson was honored Sunday in Colorado alongside two other firefighters killed battling flames near the Colorado-Utah border.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nArizona firefighter killed battling Colorado wildfire remembered at memorial service - Tucson Moving Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3110\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Arizona firefighter killed battling Colorado wildfire remembered at memorial service - 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