Hutchinson firefighters deploy to battle growing Colorado wildfire
Brush 71 crew joins nationwide effort against 34,848-acre Gold Mountain Fire
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Become a subscriberHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Three members of the Hutchinson Fire Department are in Colorado to help battle the massive Gold Mountain Fire, which has burned nearly 35,000 acres and claimed the life of an aerial firefighter over the weekend.
The local crew, operating a wildland firefighting vehicle designated as Brush 71, deployed Sunday and was expected to arrive at the incident near Ouray, Colorado, by midday Monday. Division Chief of Operations Justin Holzrichter said the Hutchinson firefighters anticipate a 14-day assignment supporting suppression efforts alongside crews from across the country.
"This continues to be an exceptionally busy wildfire season, and we are proud to answer the call to assist our neighboring states," Holzrichter said in a news release, urging the community to keep all deployed personnel in their thoughts.
The Gold Mountain Fire, which ignited June 27 in steep, densely forested terrain, has expanded to 34,848 acres and remains just 6% contained. The firefighting effort suffered a tragic setback Sunday when a pilot working the fire was killed after crashing into the nearby Silver Jack Reservoir in Gunnison County.
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