Kelly, Hickenlooper, Gallego, Peters Call for Investigation into Policies Preceding Knowles Firefighter Deaths

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 the four firefighters.

"The tragedy of the loss of these four lives necessitates a thorough examination of departmental policies that guide fire suppression," the senators wrote. "This year has seen the highest number of entrapments in two decades, as well as the deaths of 13 federal wildland firefighters, pilots, and contractors in incidents across the West. Now is the time to examine the policies that can help us avoid any additional devastating losses."

In their letter, the senators called for the investigation to examine:

• DOI's "full suppression" strategy: Whether the department's presumption of full suppression for every wildfire adequately weighs risks to life, property, and natural resources.
• Direct attack by default: Whether the approach used on the Knowles Fire was influenced by broader agency policy rather than an assessment of the specific fire behavior and conditions crews faced.
• Firefighter safety and weather conditions: Forecasts warned of wind gusts up to 60 mph, low humidity, and potentially severe impacts the morning the Rifle Helitack Crew deployed. The crew was inserted two hours later and remained on the ground amid new ignitions, strong winds, and near-zero visibility, according to preliminary investigation reports.
• Staffing and organizational changes: Whether DOI's reorganization of wildfire operations and recent staffing losses affected operations or firefighter safety.

The letter comes as the senators continue seeking answers about the tragedy. Interagency procedures call for serious accident investigations to be completed within 45 days, meaning the internal review should have been completed by August 11, 2026. Requests for a briefing on the investigation's status have not been fulfilled, and no new information has been released since a July 30 update.

"Wildland firefighter safety is a non-negotiable imperative," the senators wrote. "We call on you to ensure the Department takes a thorough, clear-eyed assessment of the multiple factors that led to four deaths and one serious injury in response to the Knowles Fire."

Click here to read the full letter.