When tragedy strikes, America's wildland firefighters ask, was it 'somebody that we loved?'

Former Forest Service fire scientist Dave Calkin calls the circumstances of the late June tragedy very concerning.

"The thing that really hurt me the most was the apparent lack of values that they were protecting, and the reality of how risky that environment is," he said, citing the high winds, inaccessibility and reliance on helicopters for getting firefighters to safety.

"When confronted with extreme conditions," Calkin said, taking the "safest option possible" is the right strategy. "And that safest option is to fall back and wait for better conditions or better locations."