Four Firefighters Remembered on 21st Anniversary of Disaster

Fire agencies across North Central Washington are remembering the 21st anniversary of the deaths of four firefighters who were entrapped by the Thirtymile Fire north of Winthrop.

On July 10th, 2001, fourteen crew members of the Forest Service Northwest Regulars #6, as well as two civilians, were fighting the fire in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest when the group was surrounded and had to resort to deploying fire-resistant shelters.

Tom Craven, Karen Fitzpatrick, Jessica Johnson and Devin Weaver did not survive.

The blaze was caused by an abandoned fire along the Chewuch River, roughly 30 miles north of Winthrop. The individual who started the fire was never found.

Local dispatchers held a moment of silence Sunday to commemorate the firefighters' passings.