Oh shit. Official: 19 firefighters killed in Arizona

[cali]

Nineteen firefighters were killed Sunday battling a blaze in Arizona, the state forestry division said.

The vast majority were from Prescott, said Wade Ward with the Prescott Fire Department.

State forestry official Art Morrison said the firefighters were members of a "hotshot" crew, tasked with digging a fire line and creating an escape route.

"In normal circumstances, when you're digging fire line, you make sure you have a good escape route, and you have a safety zone set up," Morrison said. "Evidently, their safety zone wasn't big enough, and the fire just overtook them."

<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/30/us/arizona-missing-firefighters/

RIP

[Arctic Dave]

1. Condolences to all the families.

[cali]

2. more info

<snip>

Reichling said the 19 firefighters were found in an area that also had 19 fire shelters deployed. Some of the firefighters were inside a shelter, which is typically used as a last resort to withstand the fire as it blows over. Some of the crew members were found outside the shelters.

Officials said 18 of the dead were members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots team. It’s unknown which fire crew the 19th firefighter belonged to. The firefighters are part of a team that is typically sent in first to help cut off the fire, Reichling said.

<snip>

http://www.azcentral.com/news/arizona/articles/20130630crews-fighting-small-fires-around-Arizona.html

[Recursion]

3. Damn

That's awful.

[mimi85]

4. Out of all the public servants there are,

firefighters have always been the biggest heroes to me. What horrific news!

I truly believe people (and developers) should think twice about where they build their homes. No home or a wonderful view is worth this kind of loss. Chaparral, sage and other plants are meant to burn every so many years. My heart goes out to their families and the communities that lost these brave men (and perhaps women).

[cali]

6. and these are such young guys. the average age of those dead was 22

I feel sick

[mimi85]

9. Me too

It's beyond horrendous.

[Violet_Crumble]

8. I agree about firefighters being the biggest heroes...

I've got nothing but the utmost admiration for those who go out and battle bushfires. That so many have died like this is truly heartbreaking. Something must have gone really badly wrong with that fire as firefighters like those ones are well trained and know how fires travel...

I'm not familiar with the lie of the land in Arizona, but bushfires started by lightning strikes travel fast and go where they want to go. Living in an area that's at very high risk of bushfires during bushfire season (that's the entire SE chunk of my country), I don't know if it's practical to stop people building in areas that are at risk. What they do here is educate homeowners about how best to protect their homes before a fire hits as most homes lost in the fire I experienced were lost when embers from the front got in under the eaves of homes. And when the fire danger hits the highest level possible, they tell people to leave their homes early and not to stay and try to protect them. Not sure if that happens there, but if it doesn't, it should...

[mimi85]

11. If only the homeowners

would comply. We live in a fire prone area in SoCal. There are guidelines for what the homeowners in the foothills not far from us are supposed to follow as far as clearing the brush around their property (these are usually extravagant homes built on a mandated 5 acres minimum). Not like our tract homes with lots not much over 5,000 feet. Many of the hill dwellers do comply and as far as the ones that don't, the county does it for them and then sends them a fat bill. I think deservedly so.

The county also does "controlled burns" occasionally which seem to help although even those they have gotten out of control at times. With the type of fires lately in Colorado, AZ and the latest huge one we had, the fierceness of the flames and the unpredictable weather and winds have made it unbelievably difficult to get the upper hand on the fires. We had to evacuate once about 30 years ago (different house - same general area) and it's one of the scariest things I've been ever been through.

And then, after the fires, we have these awful slides in the winter that further damages homes. Yet the people keep rebuilding on the same spot, over and over and over. And then a tragedy like this eventually happens. I can't even imagine what their fire insurance costs must be. You would be shocked to see how much earthquake insurance is! Very few people buy it.

Damn, I actually feel physically ill thinking about these families and their loss. It truly is stomach churning.

[cali]

12. I know Prescott fairly well. I spent time there a couple of winters

ago. It's in the mountains- over a mile up.

The fire is in Yarnell which is a tiny town near Prescott.

[Hekate]

5. Oh God, I am so sorry. Prayers here.

[freshwest]

15. Fire fighters are heroes. A song about 9/11. The spirit is the same:

Prescott's Hot Shot Fire Fighters

[democrank]

7. Just plain awful.

[cali]

10. Here's the website, with a photo, for the Granite City Hotshot

http://www.cityofprescott.net/services/fire/hotshots/

so very, very sad.

[Skidmore]

13. Caught that on the early news just now.

Very sad loss of some brave men. Condolences to the families left without them and continued thoughts for the safety of those who are still on the lines fighting these terrible fires.

[cali]

14. In addition to the tragic deaths of the Hotshot crew, 22 firefighters have been injured

in the Yarnell Hill fire.

<snip>

Eight of the 22 firefighters injured were taken to Wickenburg Community Hospital, some were airlifted to a burn unit in Pheonix, and others were transported to Yavapai Regional Medical Center, Glover said.

<snip>

http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/arizona-19-firefighters-dead-and-22-injured-battling-the-yarnell-hill-fire/