News out of Colorado

Six people have been found dead in connection with a "dairy accident" in Colorado, local fire officials announced on Aug. 21.

Southeast Weld Fire Protection District officials said crews recovered the six bodies at the 32000 block of Weld County Road 18 — about 30 miles north of Denver — on Aug. 20. They had been sent to the site at about 6 p.m. to perform a confined space rescue, said Tom Beach, fire chief for the fire district covering parts of Weld and Adams counties.

"Unfortunately, District personnel recovered six deceased individuals from the space," Beach said in a statement. "The District extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims."

Fire district spokesperson Irene Burke said the agency would not release additional information.

Weld County Deputy Chief Coroner Jolene Weiner said the agency would not be releasing the names and ages of the victims until the families have been notified. All six were Hispanic males, she said. Autopsies will be done in the coming days but Weiner said the coroner's office was investigating the "deaths as possibly be the result of a gas exposure in a confined space."

Local news reports identified the site as a dairy farm.

OSHA is investigating the incident, said agency spokesperson Chauntra Rideaux. More information will be available after the inspection is complete, Rideaux said.

Weld County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Melissa Chesmore said the agency responded to the scene and that "nothing criminal in nature was discovered." Chesmore deferred additional questions to the fire district.

What OSHA data shows about confined spaces

Confined spaces have a proven track record of being linked to deadly workplace accidents, according OSHA data.

A USA TODAY search of OSHA-investigated accidents linked to confined spaces showed four deaths in 2025 so far.

According to OSHA accident reports, one worker died of asphyxiation while working inside a rail tank car used to carry industrial chemicals; one died after falling into a vat of concrete aggregate; one died due to carbon monoxide exposure after spending time in a running vehicle inside a closed garage; and one died from head injuries after falling into a truck tank.

In 2024, at least 12 deaths were linked to workplace accidents in confined spaces, according to a search of OSHA investigations. 10 of the deaths were linked to asphyxiation due to chemicals and low-oxygen levels.

Where is Weld County?

Weld County is located between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains in Northern Colorado, according to a county fact sheet. It covers an area twice the size of Delaware.

The Weld County seat is Greeley. Around 360,000 people live in the county, according to the fact sheet.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Six found dead in connection with 'dairy accident' in Colorado

Reporting by Michael Loria, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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