Federal investigation identifies factors behind deadly Knowles Fire rollover

 A federal investigation has identified a number of factors that contributed to a deadly rollover incident involving firefighters battling the Knowles Fire near Grand Junction in June.

Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, Sydney Watson and Nathan Matthews died. Another firefighter survived and continues to recover.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has released its findings Thursday, identifying a combination of extraordinary fire behavior, communication problems and challenges coordinating multiple agencies as contributing factors to the tragedy.

According to the report, firefighters experienced what investigators described as "incomplete situational awareness." Communication issues also played a role as crews faced rapidly changing fire conditions.
Investigators found that the involvement of multiple agencies complicated coordination efforts. The pace at which conditions were changing also affected decision-making as firefighters worked to battle the blaze.
The report offers new insight into the circumstances leading up to the deadly rollover and the challenges crews faced.

The Department of the Interior says the findings will help improve firefighter safety and reduce the risk of similar tragedies in the future.
"Learning from what happened is how the U.S. Wildland Fire Service carries the legacy of our fallen firefighters forward," the department said.