Who They Were: The ‘Granite Mountain Hotshots’ – 19 Brave Souls Who Perished in Arizona Fire

Stand With Arizona ^ | 07-01-2013 | John Hill

[thesearethetimes...]

Unimaginably sad.

Dear Lord please, rest their brave, brave souls.
Tatt

[FranA]

My husband is a hotshot and has been the last 16 years. I to fight fire and know the dangers of being a hotshot. Hotshot crews Rarely hire people that do not have at least two seasons fight fire and even that is a stretch due to the nature of the job. As for overhead there are 9 positions with each overhead personnel having at least 5 seasons as a hotshot. These men and women are the best of the best in the wildland fire community. You rarely see them on TV because they are on the front lines of the fireline in the hottest and hardest parts of the fire. To say these kids were probably “wet behind the ears” is not right. My husband had the pleasure with working with this crew last year and he said they were a great crew.

[BubbaBasher]

Cold Missouri Waters

[Atlas Sneezed]

“The average age of the hot-shot crew was 22 years old.”

I profess absolutely no knowledge of firefighting, even more so this highly specialized type of activity, but isn’t experience, the wisdom of years very important in this type of work.

---

Consider that this kind of firefighting operation is much like combat.

[DoodleDawg]

I’m assuming that if I click on that video then I’m going to see many of the same men who gave their lives over the weekend? I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet. This is such a tragedy.

[GWfan]

Bump for continued prayers for these families and for Prescott.

[RonF]

O.K. I’ve read here more than once “These men were out of radio contact”. Something’s wrong with that. What would it cost to give these guys better radios? Most radios I’ve seen for cops, etc. are UHF or VHF bands. Would HF radios have better range or ability to overcome the terrain? What about satellite links?

[kennyboy509]

http://flashovertv.firerescue1.com/media/125-Boeing-747-firefighting/

[sheana]

Hubby is a retired firefighter. He was our county’s top watershed expert and ran our hot shot crew for many years. Being on a hot shot crew IS a young mans job. Most everything they do is done by hand. They walk across mountains to the front lines of a fire and use picks and shovels to dig lines of defense against fire and set back fires.
Again, it is a young mans job.

[ken5050]

Thanks for the information, especially about the numbers of supervisory personnel I never said, or even implied, that they were “wet behind the years” ( your phrased, not mine)..They were incredibly brave. And I do understand that the strenuous physical demands on the hot shot crews make it a young man’s game. We do, however, learn from our experiences..and the very young average age jumped out at me. In a thorough after action review, nothing should be off the table..everything should be looked at closely..hoping to avoid future fatalities if at all possible.

[scripter]

Ping

[lucymartin]

What is wrong with you that you thought it was a good idea to criticize these people. Have you no soul? No heart? Hot Shots are HIGHLY trained units, the special forces of the fire fighting department. In high desert areas like Yarnell/Prescott, Hot Shots literally are our saviors. They put their lives on the line every single day and bravely stand between us and destruction. On behalf of all the Hot Shots, their family, friends and the whole area, I would like to say: SHAME ON YOU. I am offended and disgusted by your comment and I truly hope you THOROUGHLY rethink your statement or consider deleting it all together. Ignorant and insensitive.

[Brad’s Gramma]

He wasn’t criticizing, Lucy. Welcome to FR. I hope and pray YOU are safe? Your home..family?

[Amberdawn]

I understand that losing one’s home is probably one of the worst things that can befsll an individual, but I would hope more planes could be used instead of walking firefighters. I know these brave men chose to fight fires, but it’s terribly sad for them to lose their lives over what is, after all, only material possessions.

[houeto]

The young feel they are immortal, invincible.

Ken, at age 22, I had been an Industrial Firefighter for 3 years. The last thing I ever felt on-scene was invincible. Whole lots of praying going on during the really bad ones. Some of scariest times of my life, that's for sure.

[AzNASCARfan]

I agree with that, Something I dont understand either... why the plane with slurry was not dispatched the night it started, or even the next day when it was still a 15 acre wildfire... it seems to me, the slurry planes dont come in until these fires are out of control.

[AzNASCARfan]

I just some quick math after names were released today... whoever origionally reported 22 years old as average age must have been educated in a government school as it came out just over 27 years old as an average age for me. there were a few that were 21 and 22 years old, Majority were late 20’s to 30’s Oldest was 43.

[epows]

XIX=19

[Brad’s Gramma]

And Granite Mountain, the eastern side that I see...is burning again.

Wow...we ALL need prayer.

Thanks.

[JustAmy]

Saying heartfelt prayers for the families of the nineteen firefighters who gave their lives.

Also saying prayers for all in harm’s way. Praying for all near Granite Mountain tonight.

Father, hear our prayers.