- Mountain Green honors three firefighters killed in the Snyder Fire at the Utah-Colorado border.
- Chief Brian Brendel's memorial display includes boots, a uniform and an American flag.
- Two injured firefighters remain hospitalized; investigation into the incident is ongoing.
MOUNTAIN GREEN, Morgan County — A Utah fire chief is honoring three firefighters who were killed while battling a wildfire at the Utah-Colorado border.
Authorities said 38-year-old Emily Barker of Clinton Township, Michigan, 27-year-old Nick Hutcherson of Glendale, Arizona, and Sydney Watson, also 27, of Warrior, Alabama, were part of a helitack crew based out of Rifle, Colorado.
Mountain Green Fire Protection District Chief Brian Brendel said the tragedy has resonated deeply with his department. His wife had the idea to create a memorial to honor the fallen. A pair of boots, a uniform, a shovel and an American glag are on display outside their firehouse.
"It doesn't matter if you're wildland or a structural firefighter," Brendel said. "They are brother and sister firefighters."
Brendel noted that helitack wildland crews often attack fires differently than what he does; wildfire behavior can shift suddenly, and it impacts everyone.
"The winds here are really pretty amazing," he said. "They blow hard and blow fast and change direction very quickly. We prepare ourselves just as the Forest Service or the BLM, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service does. That's why we feel for them. It could be us."
Brendel said the display is also meant to remind the public of the risks firefighters' families face.
"Our families are always concerned about us when we're at work," he said.
The chief said his firefighters recently trained on emergency fire shelter deployment, a last-resort safety measure in which firefighters take cover under protective gear as flames pass overhead. While effective in some cases, he said, it's the last ditch effort.
"It's good equipment, and it can save us, but sometimes it won't work," Brendel said.
The latest fatalities have also revived memories of past tragedies. Brendel recalled helping honor the 19 firefighters killed in the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona.
"I still see the 19 hearses that came into Prescott while I was there, being honored to lead the pipes and drums for that memorial service, and nothing hits home more than that. We train hard so that stuff doesn't happen," he said. "It's something you never forget."
Two additional firefighters injured in the Colorado fire remain hospitalized. Brendel, a veteran of five decades in the fire service, said burn injuries can be especially severe and long-lasting.
"They're painful. They take a long time to heal," he said.
An investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing. Federal officials said a team is reviewing what led to the fatalities.
Brendel urged the public to support firefighters by reducing fire risks, especially during peak wildfire season.
"Go see your local big fireworks display," he said. "That's how you can honor the fallen firefighters, by not causing more work for the firefighters that are here."
