Today marks the beginning of the Week of Remembrance—a time to honor the wildland firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and to reflect on the lessons their stories continue to teach us. This year's Week of Remembrance focuses on serious incidents from the 2016 fire season, encouraging all of us to learn from the past while recognizing the lasting impact these events have had on our wildland fire community. As we begin this week of reflection, our hearts are especially heavy following the tragic loss of three wildland firefighters this weekend during initial attack operations on the Knowles Fire. We mourn alongside their families, friends, crewmates, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss. Today is also observed in honor of the 15 firefighters lost during the 2016 fire season and in lasting remembrance of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, whose sacrifice on June 30, 2013, will never be forgotten. We invite you to join us and @NWCG throughout the week as we remember those we've lost, reflect on the lessons learned, and recommit ourselves to looking out for one another. #WeekOfRemembrance

We are saddened to share the identities of the three firefighters we lost responding to the Knowles Fire in western Colorado on Saturday. The firefighters were assigned to the Rifle Helitack crew and were engaged in initial attack operations on the Knowles Fire when the incident occurred. The deceased firefighters have been identified as: 💜Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, Michigan, assigned to the U.S. Forest Service Rifle Helitack. 💜Nick Hutcherson, 27 of Glendale, Arizona, assigned to the U.S. Forest Service Kaibab National Forest. 💜Sydney Watson, 27, of Warrior, Alabama, assigned to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service Rifle Helitack. Two additional firefighters were injured during the incident and are receiving medical care. “We mourn the loss of three firefighters who answered the call to protect others and made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their fellow citizens,” said U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy. “Our thoughts are with their families, loved ones, friends and crewmates as they face an unimaginable loss. These firefighters embodied the courage, professionalism and selflessness that define the wildland fire service. Please join me and my family in keeping our thoughts and prayers with the families of the fallen and our injured firefighters and their families.” The full press release can be found here: doi.gov/pressreleases/identi…