Firefighters in Santa Fe County aren't just dealing with the spreading Frijoles Fire.

Two days before they lost a crew member who suffered a medical issue, the firefighters were harassed in their Frijoles Fire base camp by armed individuals.

Police from multiple agencies responded to the incident, and a shelter-in-place was ordered to those in the camp, KOAT reported.

Safety was increased after the confrontation to keep intruders out.

"We had security overnight, and now we have 24-hour security," said Delyn Sieliet, of the California complex incident management team, one of serveral assisting with the fire that's consumed 15,000 acres so far. 

Despite the difficulties, the team remains determined to continue their work.

Eddie Garcia, another California firefighter at the base added: "We’re strong in the camp. And we’re going to be moving forward with this. We’re always going to remember the person that passed away in our hearts..."

The U.S. Forest Service wrote in a statement after the incident: "The Santa Fe National Forest would like to express gratitude for the swift and professional actions of incident management personnel and local authorities following an incident at a Frijoles Fire camp Friday night. Members of the public attempted to enter the camp and harassed incident management personnel before leaving the area. No injuries were reported, and fire operations remain fully staffed and ongoing."

“We understand emotions can run high during stressful times like these,” Forest Supervisor Shaun Sanchez said. “We are deeply grateful for California Complex Interagency Incident Management Team 8 and their dedication to keeping our firefighters safe, and for the quick response from local authorities.”