The U.S. Department of the Interior released its findings Thursday, identifying what investigators described as "incomplete situational awareness" among crews as a central factor in the tragedy.

The four firefighters who died were Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, Sydney Watson and Nathan Matthews. A fifth firefighter survived the rollover and continues to recover.

According to the report, crews faced rapidly shifting fire conditions that outpaced their ability to keep a clear picture of the situation on the ground. Communication problems compounded the challenge, and the involvement of multiple agencies further complicated coordination efforts as the fire's behavior changed quickly.

Investigators said the speed at which conditions evolved affected decision-making as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

The Department of the Interior said the findings are intended to improve firefighter safety and reduce the risk of similar tragedies in the future.

"Learning from what happened is how the U.S. Wildland Fire Service carries the legacy of our fallen firefighters forward," the department said in a statement.

The report offers new insight into the circumstances leading up to the rollover and the obstacles crews encountered on the fire line. For communities across western Colorado, where wildland firefighting crews are increasingly stretched across overlapping state, federal and local jurisdictions, the findings underscore longstanding concerns about radio interoperability and the strain that fast-moving fires place on coordinated response.

The Knowles Fire deaths add to a grim toll for wildland firefighters in recent years, and the report's emphasis on situational awareness and cross-agency communication is likely to inform safety reviews and training across the region.