Glendale firefighter who died while battling Snyder Fire honored at funeral
Community remembers fallen Arizona firefighter killed while battling wildfire
The family and friends of Glendale wildland firefighter Nick Hutcherson gathered for his funeral after he died battling the Snyder Fire on the Utah-Colorado border. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen reports.
PHOENIX - The family and friends of fallen wildland firefighter Nick Hutcherson, who was from Glendale, gathered together to honor his life after he died fighting the wildfire along the Utah-Colorado border.
What we know:
Flags remain at half staff across the state, as Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered them to be lowered in honor of Hutcherson.
The funeral started with a ceremonial transfer. His casket was processed into the church with several firefighters and the U.S. Forest Service saluting him. Inside, several of his family and friends talked about his life, reading poems and playing music, while sharing their memories of him.
Fire trucks lined the entire outside the church, all to remember Hutcherson's service. "I count myself incredibly lucky to have known him in the way that I did for as long as I did," a friend of Hutcherson said.
The backstory:
Hutcherson worked with the U.S. Forest Service Kaibab National Forest Pittman Valley, and he died while fighting the Snyder Fire on June 27. The fire, which burned more than 30,000 acres, was initially several fires that merged into one.
On July 9, his body was brought to the Deer Valley Airport and there was a dignified transfer, a procession of law enforcement and fire agencies, and his body was escorted to Hansen Mortuary.
On July 2, the body of Nick Hutcherson, a 27-year-old firefighter from Glendale, was returned to Deer Valley Airport in north Phoenix after he died fighting a wildfire near the Utah-Colorado border on June 27. (Photo of Hutcherson provided by the U.S
"Nick was a great person and grandson. I consider him to be a close friend," Hutcherson's grandfather said.
Friends and family highlighted his time in the Navy and his passion for muay Thai.
"He was thinking about how to get better for the next time. How he could reach that hold on the wall or slip that punch and land that kick, and he would joke around with me the entire time," a friend of Hucherson's said.
What they're saying:
At the funeral, his friends and family talked about his time in the Navy and his passion for Muay Thai. His dad talked about how Nick was fascinated with fire trucks even before he could walk.
"Like a superhero, with its lights flashing, you stopped crying instantly. You just stared at it completely fascinated and, wow, it just hit me. I believe you fell in love with the fire department," Hutcherson's father said.
Body of fallen Glendale firefighter returns home
The body of 27-year-old wildland firefighter Nick Hutcherson arrived at Deer Valley Airport on Thursday following his death at the out-of-state Snyder Fire. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi reports.
"He didn't always say what he was going to do, but he never had to. I noticed it in the little things," Hutcherson's girlfriend said.
"Some of the grandkids used to come over and he was not the oldest, but he was always the biggest, and we would take them on walks around our neighborhood," the grandfather added.
Big picture view:
Two other firefighters, Emily Barker of Clinton Township, Michigan, and Sydney Watson of Warrior, Alabama, also died while battling the fire. The three were overcome by fast-moving flames, trapped inside fire shelter tents.
What's next:
Fire officials say a serious accident team is investigating the three firefighters' deaths.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the U.S. Forest Service Kaibab National Forest records, Nick Hutcherson's father, and previous FOX 10 reports.