....."""" Fanned by hot winds, a deadly blaze
exploded out of control on Sunday in
Arizona, overtaking 19 firefighters, 18 of
them from the same elite Prescott, Ariz.,
Granite Mountain Hotshots team. NBC's
Miguel Almaguer reports.
By Ian Johnston, Andrew Rafferty and Erin
McClam, NBC News
Only a “perfect storm” of conditions could
have overtaken the elite team that lost 19
men battling a wildfire in Arizona,
authorities said Monday as they came to
grips with the deadliest single event for
firefighters since Sept. 11.
The fire, raging on a hot and gusty Sunday
afternoon, took out all but one member of
the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team
known for its extensive training and
demanding fitness regimen.
The men were killed about 85 miles
northwest of Phoenix, near the town of
Yarnell. It was the biggest loss of firefighter
life since 340 died at the World Trade
Center. It was the worst in a wildfire since
1933, when 29 were killed in Los Angeles.
“We don’t know exactly what happened,”
Wade Ward, a spokesman for the Prescott
Fire Department, told NBC’s TODAY. “I can
tell you that this is a very elite group of
men. I can tell you that it had to be the
perfect storm in order for this to happen.”
Related: Fire that killed 19 firefighters was
‘perfect storm’
Authorities stressed that they were still
investigating, but Mary Rasmussen, a
spokeswoman for Prescott National Forest,
said it appeared the 19 were engaged in a
“direct attack” — getting close to the fire and
trying to create a break to starve it of fuel.
She described the maneuver as “one foot in
the black and one foot in the green,” and
said it was only done when the flames were
5 feet high or less: “They’re right up against
it.”
The conditions Sunday were extreme, with
unusual wind, she said, and authorities were
checking what other factors might have
contributed.
Art Morrison, a state forestry spokesman,
told The Associated Press that the men had
been forced to deploy emergency fire
shelters — tent-like structures meant to
protect breathable air and shield them from
the heat.
Investigators believe the fire, which started
Friday, was sparked by lightning. It has
claimed more than 200 buildings in Yarnell,
a town of only about 700 people.
David Kadlubowski / The Arizona Republic
via AP
The deadly wildfire also destroyed homes
in the Glenn Ilah area near Yarnell, Ariz,
on Sunday.
Excessive heat warnings were posted over
the weekend in Arizona, and parts of
California approached 130 degrees.
Hotshot fire crews often hike into the
wilderness lugging 40 or 50 pounds of
equipment, including chain saws and other
heavy gear, to clear brush and trees and
anything else that might feed the flames.
The Granite Mountain crew had battled
blazes in New Mexico and elsewhere in
Arizona in recent weeks.
“If you ever met them, you would meet the
finest, most dedicated people,” Prescott Fire
Chief Dan Fraijo said. “They’ll sleep out
there as they try to develop fire lines and
put protection between homes and natural
resources and still try to remain safe.”
Juliann Ashcraft told AZCentral.com, the
website of The Arizona Republic and NBC
affiliate KPNX, that she and her four children
were watching the news when they learned
that her husband, Andrew, was among the
dead.
“They died heroes,” she said through tears.
“And we’ll miss them. We love them.”""""............prayers sent

This made me cry....RIP our heroes!

Ive been hearin it all mornin on my radio..

I just seen this on the news earlier....so sad

May God bless them all and their families.

:' (

I heard about this last night on the news.. It is soo sad! My prayers r with all that has been affected by this..

Very sad news. Prayers to the familys of these brave men.

It was a tradegy...big fire u should see our skies

Did talk to Hawk for those wondering...he is okay, fires near but no threat to him yet