STERLING HEIGHTS – A public memorial will be held on Tuesday to honor the life of Clinton Township native Emily Barker, who died alongside two other firefighters while responding to a wildfire in western Colorado last month.
A public visitation will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a 12 p.m. public memorial service on July 14 at the Bethesda Christian Church, 14000 Metro Parkway, in Sterling Heights
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Barker, 38, was a lead wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service Rifle Helitack crew, assigned to the Knowles and Gore fires near the Colorado-Utah border. According to officials, a fast-moving burnover incident led to emergency conditions, and despite efforts to deploy emergency shelters, Barker and two other firefighters — Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Ariz., and Sydney Watson, 26, of Warrior, Ala. — were killed.
When her remains were returned to Michigan the morning of July 9, members of the Detroit Fire Department lined nine overpasses on I-94 to honor her as they were escorted home.
Full honors will also be rendered by the U.S. Forest Service at Barker’s memorial. The D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home in Warren is assisting the family with local arrangements.