SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — After weeks of long days on the fire line, firefighters battling Utah’s Iron and Cherry fires received some four-legged support.

Golden Healers, a Utah nonprofit that provides therapy and service dogs, visited the wildfire base camp at the invitation of the incident management team, giving firefighters a chance to step away from the demands of the job, if only for a few minutes.

The certified therapy dogs spent time with crews in dining areas, gathering spaces and rest areas, where firefighters petted the dogs, took photos and talked about the pets waiting for them back home.

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“Our firefighters face tremendous physical and emotional demands every day,” said Mike Carlson, founder and CEO of Golden Healers. “Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes with a therapy dog to help someone relax, smile and reset before heading back to work. It was an honor to support these incredible men and women.”

The visit came as hundreds of firefighters continue working to contain the Iron and Cherry fires, which have burned tens of thousands of acres in central Utah.

Golden Healers brought several certified therapy dogs, including Golden Retrievers, doodles, poodles and a corgi. Each dog has completed specialized therapy training designed to help them remain calm in busy, high-stress environments.

Volunteers said the response from firefighters was immediate.

Crews who had spent hours battling wildfire conditions gathered around the dogs, laughing, sharing stories and enjoying a brief reminder of home before returning to their assignments.

One of the most memorable moments came when an entire firefighting crew surrounded one therapy dog, taking turns petting it while talking about their own dogs and families.

For a few minutes, conversations shifted away from fire behavior and operational briefings to life beyond the fire camp.

“Watching these firefighters light up the moment a dog walked over reminded us why therapy dogs are so important,” Carlson said. “These are people who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities, often while spending weeks away from their own families. If we can give them even a few minutes of comfort and emotional support, then we’ve accomplished something meaningful.”

Golden Healers hopes to continue visiting wildfire camps and other first responders across Utah. The nonprofit regularly provides therapy dog visits to hospitals, schools, law enforcement agencies, mental health providers and community organizations.

“Our mission has always been to improve lives through the healing power of dogs,” Carlson said. “Whether we’re helping a child with autism, supporting someone struggling with mental health, or bringing comfort to firefighters after a long shift, these dogs have an incredible ability to connect with people exactly when they need it most.”

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State Sen. Todd Weiler previously shared a six-post thread about opponents of the Box Elder data center allegedly being paid by China.

Three firefighters were killed Saturday while battling two wildfires near the Colorado-Utah border, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service announced.

Emily Barker, 38, was from Michigan; Nick Hutcherson, 27, was from Arizona; and Sydney Watson, 26, was from Alabama.

Loved ones and friends started sharing tributes on social media, and FOX 13 News spoke to the loved ones of Emily Barker.

It all started when Sarah Brubeck was looking for a roommate in Colorado.

“Emily answered a random Craigslist ad,” Brubeck said. “We didn’t even know we had so much in common, so we had multiple hockey bags in our garage and multiple snowboards.”

Little did Brubeck know, she was getting a lot more than just a roommate.

“Grew to be more sisters than friends,” she said.

3 firefighters killed in wildfires

Just a couple of states over, Barker had touched the life of Kayla Lindsey.

“I met her when I was doing my interagency fire season with USFS and BLM Idaho,” she said. “You cannot see Emily and not want to talk to her.”

However, both friends’ worlds came crashing down when they heard the news that three firefighters did not make it while responding to the Knowles Fire along the Colorado-Utah border.

“One of our teammates was like, ‘Hey, Emily, let us know you’re safe,’ and she didn’t respond,” Brubeck said. “I just assumed she was out of service, and she would respond when she could, but she couldn’t.”

“I saw it first on Facebook,” Lindsey said. “I just kept reading it over and over, like, ‘That’s not the Emily Barker, I know that’s not my Emily.’”

Barker had died during a burn-over incident, something that hits close to home for Lindsey.

“I remember my first state fire, we pulled our shelters, and that’s never a good feeling. You never want to have to hear the words, ‘Get to your safety zone,’” she said. “I couldn’t imagine as strong as Emily was, how scared she must have felt when that happened, because that’s a terrible way to go.”

“She was more than life itself,” Lindsey added through tears. “She took so much interest in every person she met. She loved her job.”

While the world is getting to know Barker as a hero, her friends said it’s who she’s been all along.

“Showing up to house sit for free while we’re on our honeymoon or offering to carry someone’s hockey bag — she just gave of herself constantly,” Brubeck said.

“Didn’t matter how much she didn’t have in her cup, she always tried to fill everyone else’s,” Lindsey added. “I just wish we had more Emilys in the fire service.”

A wildland firefighter who knew the victims in Utah released the following statement:

“It’s times like these we’re reminded how truly dangerous our jobs are. Fire is the only natural disaster we ask men and women to stand in front of and stop. While we are often successful, sometimes the power of fire overtakes us, despite our best efforts and safest decision making. As we see so much criticism online about how we do our jobs, please remember our ultimate goal is to get every firefighter home safely. Saturday, we failed. The loss of Emily, Nick, and Sydney is burned in our souls. Our agencies and firefighters are hurting. We appreciate the public support now. And we hope that continues long after this has been forgotten for most of you. Because, for us, it is never forgotten. Every decision“It’s times like these we’re reminded how truly dangerous our jobs are. Fire is the only natural disaster we ask men and women to stand in front of and stop. While we are often successful, sometimes the power of fire overtakes us, despite our best efforts and safest decision making. As we see so much criticism online about how we do our jobs, please remember our ultimate goal is to get every firefighter home safely. Saturday, we failed. The loss of Emily, Nick, and Sydney is burned in our souls. Our agencies and firefighters are hurting. We appreciate the public support now. And we hope that continues long after this has been forgotten for most of you. Because, for us, it is never forgotten. Every decision, every pause in action, is because of a lost firefighter. To our fallen comrades… we’ll take it from here.”