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.
Gov. Katie Hobbs thanked the firefighters.
"We owe so much to these 19 men and those who continue the work of protecting our communities from danger. Because of them, we can raise our families in security and happiness," she said.
"There is much that we’ve learned since that tragedy and we’re far better prepared for wildfire prevention and response than we were then," said Prescott Mayor Phil Goode.
Brendan McDonough, the sole surviving member of the firefighting ream, read a prayer at the ceremony in Prescott.
When the Yarnell Hill Fire started on June 28, 2013, 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 more than 45 years.
Two days later, the Granite Mountain Hotshots were battling the wildfire 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 Fahrenheit and cut off the firefighters' escape route, killing the men, authorities said.
The fire has been the largest loss of life for U.S. firefighters since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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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. -
Nine years ago, the Yarnell fire took the lives of 19 hotshot firefighters. Members of the community near where the fire occurred still feel the effects of the tragedy today. -
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."
