Fallen firefighter Nathan Matthews, a former Vail local, to be honored on Friday
GoFundMe page set up to help family, firefighting community
Fallen wildland firefighter Nathan Matthews was a former Vail local with deep ties to the valley, and his family is now asking for the community’s help in navigating the challenges of his loss.
Matthews died of injuries sustained after being caught in the Knowles Fire on June 27. Another Eagle County local, Emily Barker, was killed in the incident as well.
Matthews survived for weeks with the assistance of breathing devices and appeared to be getting better at times, but ultimately took a turn for the worse and was pronounced dead on July 24.
A gofundme.com fundraiser has been set up in Matthews’ honor, with the proceeds going to his family and the firefighter community that he served. The fundraiser can be found at gofundme.com/f/support-nates-family-after-firefighter-loss.
Matthews worked in the restaurant industry in Vail, where he spent years as a bartender at Mountain Standard in Vail. Former Mountain Standard worker Tom Rushlow said he got to know Matthews from working together, but they quickly became ski buddies.
Support Local Journalism
“I just thought he had the greatest vibe, he was just such a cool, chill guy,” Rushlow said. “One of the top-3 powder days of my life was with him at Beaver Creek; it was just the two of us in the disco trees, trying to find our lines from the run before, which were nearly filled in by the time we got back to them.”
Matthews was a beautiful telemark skier who was known as one of the few freeheelers who could ride backwards in switch stance while executing a telemark turn.
“Some people tele because it’s cool, but Nate tele’d because he was cool,” Rushlow said.
Matthews was also a talented climber who spent much of his free time on nearby rock faces.
On Thursday, Sen. John Hickenlooper dedicated a speech from the U.S. Senate floor to the families of Matthews and Barker, along with Nick Hutcherson and Sydney Watson, the two other firefighters who were killed in the Knowles Fire.
“These families deserve answers, and we need to understand what went wrong so we can prevent future tragedies,” Hickenlooper said. “This isn’t about playing politics or gotcha, trying to find blame … With wildfires still raging across Colorado, we can’t afford to wait months and months to learn lessons that could save lives right now.”
Also on Thursday, the Colorado State Patrol announced that on Friday, vehicles from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service Honor Guard, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and Colorado State Patrol will escort Matthews and family from the Denver area to Grand Junction.
“This escort will transport his remains to Grand Junction,” state patrol said in a release issued Thursday. “It will be led by the Colorado State Patrol, with U.S Wildland Fire Service, U.S. Forest Service, Rifle Helitack, and DFPC escorting an unmarked vehicle carrying Nathan and his family.”
The escort will depart the Denver Federal Center at 7:30 a.m. and travel via Interstate 70 to the Bureau of Land Management facilities in Grand Junction. CDOT will implement short rolling closures and brief temporary ramp closures along the route to facilitate safe passage of the processional, state patrol said in a release.
“Members of the public wishing to show their support and pay their respects are encouraged to do so from the overpasses along the I-70 route,” according to the release. “Those wishing to observe the escort elsewhere along the route should do so only from a safe and lawful location away from the interstate.”
State patrol is urging the public not to park or stop on interstate shoulders, ramps, bridges or overpasses.
“Pedestrians must not enter the interstate, ramps, or other restricted roadway areas,” according to the release. “Motorists should not slow or stop in travel lanes to observe or photograph the escort. Do not attempt to follow, pass, or join the motorcade. Please obey all traffic laws, posted parking restrictions, and directions from law enforcement. Temporary traffic delays may occur along the route.”
Updates on the escort’s progress will be periodically posted on the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit Facebook page to give a general sense of timing for upcoming towns and overpasses.
“This is not guaranteed to be precise,” state patrol added, “so please plan to arrive early and be prepared for a possible later-than-expected arrival.”