The Yarnell 19: Remembering the Granite Mountain Hotshots 13 years later

YARNELL, Ariz. - Tuesday, June 30, marks 13 years since 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed while battling the Yarnell Hill Fire.

The backstory:

When the fire started, dry lightning had struck a patch of vegetation in steep, mountainous terrain and ignited the fire high on a ridge west of Yarnell, which hadn’t experienced a wildfire in nearly 50 years.

Two days later, the hotshots were battling the fire in a box canyon when the winds suddenly shifted and the flames rapidly raced toward them. The 19 men tried to deploy emergency shelters: tent-like structures meant to shield firefighters from the flames and heat.

The gusty, hot winds caused the fire to intensify to more than 2,000 degrees and cut off the firefighters’ escape route, killing the men, authorities said.

The Yarnell Hill Fire charred more than 13 square miles and destroyed 127 buildings.

What they're saying:

Brendan McDonough, the only surviving crew member, took to social media on June 30 to honor the hotshots.

"Thirteen years since I lost my brothers. People sometimes ask if it gets easier. The truth is, the pain changes more than it disappears. You learn to carry it. Some days it’s quiet. Other days it feels like it happened yesterday. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about them. Their sacrifice shaped the man I became—the husband, father, firefighter, and person I strive to be. Every opportunity I have to serve, to speak, to help someone who is struggling, is a way of honoring lives that were cut far too short. Grief has taught me that love doesn’t end when someone dies. It simply changes form. We carry those we love in the choices we make, the people we help, and the way we live. Today, I remember 19 incredible men. I remember their laughter, their courage, and the privilege of calling them my brothers. Gone from this earth, but never from my heart," McDonough wrote in a Facebook post.

Local perspective:

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered flags at all state buildings to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on June 30 in memory of the firefighters.

"Hotshot crews take on dangerous and difficult firefighting to keep Arizona communities safe. We recognize and honor the sacrifice and bravery of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. This will always be a day we mark with mourning, reflection, and deep admiration for the members of this crew, their families, and the wildland firefighting community," Hobbs said in a statement.

Arizona State Parks will host a remembrance event at the Yarnell Hill Fire Memorial in downtown Yarnell at 4:15 p.m.

Those attending should enter the park from the west entrance on Cherry Lane. Parking on either side of State Route 89 is recommended.

What you can do:

For more information on the hotshots, click here.

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