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WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said Saturday that Nathan Matthews, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, has died from burns sustained while fighting the Knowles Fire near the Colorado-Utah border, becoming the fourth firefighter to die from the incident. Matthews was injured on June 27 when flames overtook his Helitack crew in Mesa County, Colorado, west of Grand Junction, as they attempted to suppress the rapidly expanding wildfire. Three colleagues on the specialized helicopter-deployed team — Emily Barker, 38, Nick Hutcherson, 27, and Sydney Watson, 26 — died at the scene despite deploying tentlike emergency shelters as the fire advanced. Matthews and another firefighter were airlifted for medical treatment, and authorities have not released an update on the surviving firefighter’s condition. SISTERS, Oregon — The largest active wildfire in the western United States continues to burn a few miles north of Sisters, a city of about 3,000 residents, after being sparked by lightning in parched terrain. The blaze has scorched roughly 105 square kilometers (40 square miles) and was only 5% contained as of Saturday, with winds gusting up to 50 kilometers per hour (30 mph) threatening to push flames into new areas. Around 30 evacuees from communities north of Sisters are sheltering at the local high school, with a similar number staying in recreational vehicles outside town. Mayor Jennifer Letz said the city is not in immediate danger and expressed optimism that risks will ease once winds diminish Sunday amid a broader season of dry conditions, low snowpack, extreme heat and erratic winds across the western U.S. and Canada.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.