June 30 marks the ninth anniversary that a team of hotshot firefighters died battling the Yarnell Hill Fire near Prescott.
The fire killed 19 crew members — marking it the third-largest single loss of wildfire firefighters. John Heiney, community outreach manager for the city of Prescott, says losing the firefighters still echoes in Prescott today.
“I think the community is still very much remembering them, and there certainly still is grief, but there’s also really a sense of support for these heroes and love for our community,” Heiney said.
Every year, Prescott holds memorial events to commemorate the firefighters. Heiney says they will continue to honor them and their sacrifice to preserve life and property.
Read more about the Yarnell Hill Fire
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Hundreds gathered on the lawns of the Yavapai County Courthouse on Friday afternoon to memorialize the legacies of the 19 elite Granite Mountain Hotshots who lost their lives in the violent, sudden firestorm that fell on them a decade ago. -
The Show spoke with Frances Lechner, president of the Yarnell Area Resource Group, about the 10-year anniversary of the Yarnell Hill Fire and what the day means. -
The small town of Yarnell near Prescott was almost destroyed by a wildfire in 2013. In the process of saving the town, 19 firefighters with the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed. On Saturday, the town of about 600 people dedicated its memorial to the men who died saving their community. -
The town of Yarnell will hold a ceremony honoring the Granite Mountain Hotshots this Sunday, six years to the day that 19 of them died battling the Yarnell Hill Fire. -
In the summer of 2013, one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history killed 19 firefighters from Prescott. The Granite Mountain Hotshots were cut off from their escape route and the shelters they carried could not withstand the fire’s heat. Their story is now immortalized in the film “Only The Brave."
