Sunday marked the three-year anniversary of the deaths of three firefighters who perished in the Twisp River Road Fire on August 19, 2015. Those who were killed were Richard Wheeler, 31, Andrew Zajac, 26, and Tom Zbyszewski, 20. All three were riding in a fire engine that was making its way to a safety zone as the fire exploded due to a wind shift change.
According to a report issued by the U.S. Forest Service, Wheeler, Zajac, Zbyszewski and Daniel Lyon, 25, were riding in an engine that had driven through the most critical part of the fire in an attempt to reach safety. The report states that there was zero visibility due to the thick smoke and the heat of the fire caused a blow out of multiple tires. Due to the lack of visibility, the report states that the truck had gone down a 40-ft embankment, and the vehicle high-centered on a rock.