WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- Sen. Mark Kelly issued the following press release:
Senators seek answers following June deaths of four Rifle Helitack Crew firefighters
Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Gary Peters (D-MI) called on the Department of Interior (DOI) to investigate the policies that preceded the deaths of four Rifle Interagency Helitack Crew members responding to the Gore and Knowles Fires on June 27, 2026.
The fallen firefighters-Nick Hutcherson, 27; Emily Barker, 38; Sydney Watson, 27; and Nathan Matthews, 43-grew up in communities across the country before finding their way to federal wildland firefighting in Western Colorado. The senators represent states with connections to th...