Mother of Granite Mountain Hotshot has memorial flag stolen from her yard
Joe Thurston was part of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew trying to protect the community of Yarnell, Arizona when he and 18 others lost their lives in the fire. Families of the hotshots received special flags and the one that went to Thurston's mom has gone missing.
Watch the Full Yarnell Hill Memorial Service
Thousands gathered for a memorial service Tuesday in Prescott, Ariz. to honor the 19 Granite Mountain Hot Shot firefighters who were killed in the Yarnell Hill wildfire.
Granite Mtn Memorial State Park, AZ
In 2013 there were many fires in and around AZ. We were traveling on our motorcycle with the objective to visit all four corners of the United States. While going through Flagstaff, we could see the fires in Yarnell, and a few days later learned that these 19 lost their lives in that fire. So when we planned this trip to visit and camp in Utah, we knew we wanted to make a stop at this memorial.
It is not an easy hike in and harder coming out. You have the physical and emotional obstacles to overcome.
We had the honor to meet a young structural fireman along the trail. He knew the DeFord family and Justin. So he comes out every year to make the hike and honor his friend and his fallen brothers. He shared with us that he worked with Justin and his brother at a youth camp and what great guys they were. He also shared that Justin had the opportunity just two weeks prior to the tragic event to share the gospel with his team.
One thing you will note that they all had in common was their love for people and serving others. They all loved what they did and their fellow hotshots.
Reaching the bottom at the fatality scene was a tough hike, but reaching the memorial is overwhelming emotionally.
If you ever get a chance and can physically make the hike, we strongly recommend the journey to honor these men (some who were mere boys in our eyes).
Granite Mountain Hotshots memorial, Sunnyslope, Phoenix, AZ
Granite Mountain IHC United States flag memorial in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona. The 4th anniversary of the Yarnell Hill burnover was yesterday (June 30, 2013). #RememberThe19
US Vice President attends memorial for 19 fallen Arizona firefighters
POOL
1. Wide lift and pull out of firefighter crews filing into front rows of memorial service
2. Pan of photos of the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died
3. Close of firefighters shield bearing their names
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Joe Biden, US Vice President: ++starts on previous shot++
These men were some of the strongest, most disciplined, tenacious, physically fit men in the world. An elite unit in every sense of that phrase.
5. Pan of photos of the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Joe Biden, US Vice President: ++starts on previous shot++
I believe America will continue to be defined by the example of the 19. Nineteen ordinary men who did extraordinary things.
7. Various of names of fallen being read, bell being struck, and names of fallen appearing on screen (++includes jump cut++)
8. Wide of stage as ceremony to deliver items to family members begins
9. Fire-fighters bearing US flags, the Arizona flag and a fireman's pick-axe walking into crowd to give them to family members of the fallen
10. Photo montage of fallen Hotshots shown on large screen; AUDIO: music
11. Choir singing
12. High wide of stadium as song ends
13. Wide of boots, helmets and gear of fallen Hotshots displayed near stage
14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brendan McDonough, sole surviving member of Granite Mountain Hotshots:
For if this day on the line ... I should answer death's call ... Lord, bless my hot shot Crew ... My family, one and all. Thank you, and I miss my brothers. And we're here today to remember them. I love my family, all of you that are out there. Thank you for supporting me.
15. McDonough walking away from podium
16. High wide of McDonough shaking hands with and embracing dignitaries on stage; AUDIO: applause
STORYLINE:
Nineteen firefighters from the US state of Arizona, who died when an out-of-control wildfire overran them, were honoured on Tuesday by thousands of fellow firefighters and US Vice President Joe Biden.
The memorial service, held in Prescott Valley, was attended by alumni of the Granite Mountain Hotshots firefighting team, along with other Hotshot crew members from around the country.
Among those also attending were Janet Napolitano, US Homeland Security Secretary and former Arizona Governor, and Senator John McCain and his wife, Cindy.
Biden called the dead men some of the strongest, most disciplined, tenacious, physically fit men in the world.
He also called the Hotshots an elite unit in every sense of that phrase.
The 19 men - members of the Prescott-based Granite Mountain Hotshots - were overcome by smoke and fire on June 30 while battling a blaze on a mountain above the tiny community of Yarnell, about 80 miles northwest of Phoenix.
Only one member, 21-year-old Brendan McDonough, survived.
He was serving as a lookout and wasn't in the immediate burn zone.
McDonough walked onto the stage at the end of the service and offered what's called The Hot Shot's Prayer.
The prayer ends: For if this day on the line ... I should answer death's call ... Lord, bless my hot shot Crew ... My family, one and all.
Thank you, and I miss my brothers, McDonough said after the prayer. Thank you for supporting me.
Each firefighter's name was read out, punctuated by a tolling bell, at the memorial held at a hockey arena.
Lined up in front of the stage were 19 sets of firefighting gear, complete with commemorative tools similar to the ones the elite crew uses to dig lines around fires.
Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo gave the tools to the firefighters' families, along with flags that had been flown in their honour.
Tuesday's memorial was the last of a handful of vigils for the men before the first of 19 funerals begin later in the week.
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Prescott Hotshots Firefighters Died Arizona June 2013
Yarnell Fire 19 Firefighters Died In Prescott Arizona June 2013. Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said that the 19 firefighters were a part of the city's fire department. These men and women were Hotshots working hard to save property and lives when they were run over by the fierce wind and fire on June 30 2013.
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Granite Mountain Hot Shots Memorial Part 1
Prescott Valley. July 9, 2013. In memory of our fallen 19 firefighters.
Widows of Granite Mountain Hotshots react to ‘Only the Brave’
Four years ago, the Granite Mountain Hotshots died battling a horrifying wildfire in Yarnell. On Thursday, the true story of those men who fought on the front lines premiered across the United States.
Yarnell Hill Memorial Service You Raise Me Up
Our St. Mel Music Director, Francesco AlleRuzzo and choir member, Bob McCulloch travelled to Prescott Valley, AZ to participate in an interfaith memorial service for the 19 firefighters from Prescott who were killed on June 30 while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire. The 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots squad perished on June 30 in the worst wildfire tragedy in Arizona history and the worst in the nation since 1933. John K. Flaherty, Director of Liturgy & Music at LMU, organized the music for the interfaith service which had instrumentalists and a choir of 100 people from several states who participated in this memorial. Francesco AlleRuzzo played the keyboards for the memorial service and Bob McCulloch sang with the bass section, as representatives of St. Mel Parish. The Greater Arizona Congress choir sang On Eagle's Wings, You Raise Me Up and closed with the Irish traditional song May The Road Rise Up to Meet You. The interfaith Memorial Service was held in Prescott Valley at Tim's Toyota Center at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. Vice-President Joseph Biden represented President Barack Obama and the United State of America and Governor Jan Brewer, Senator McClain, Senator Flake represented the state of Arizona. A host of cabinet secretaries, United States congressmen, local officials and firefighting representative were also in attendance. Please keep these brave men, their families and community in your prayers as we ask God to take these brave firefighters home into His care and to look after the loved ones they have left behind.
Yarnell Fire Tragedy & Supreme Court Review
It's the worst firefighter tragedy in Arizona history and the third worst in the U.S. history. A fire near Yarnell has claimed the lives of 19 firefighters and has destroyed half of the 500 structures in Yarnell. Arizona State University Law Professor Paul Bender will analyze the recent U.S. Supreme Court blockbuster rulings on same-sex marriage and voting rights.
Gov Ducey Speaks to Press at GMHS Park
Governor Ducey took a couple of moments to speak to the media before the dedication of the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park.
Quick Facts on Yarnell Hill Fire. The Story of Bravery
Quick Facts You tube Channel is an effort to provide available information about a selected topic to our viewers.
Quick Facts on Yarnell Hill Fire. # The Story of Bravery
The Yarnell Hill Fire, was a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona, ignited by lightning on June 28, 2013.
Strong winds reaching more than 22 mph, pushed the fire from 300 acres to 8300 acres.
A long-term drought affecting the area contributed to the fire's rapid spread and erratic behavior, as did temperatures of 38 °C
There were 400 firefighters on the line and At least 600 people were under mandatory evacuation orders.
The fire was declared 100 percent contained on July 10, after 13 days. Total 129 Buildings were destroyed, 23 injuries were reported with 19 fatalities.
On 30th June, 19 firefighters with the Prescott Fire Department's interagency, Granite Mountain Hotshots, were overrun and killed by the Fire.
The lone survivor from the 20-man crew was 21-year-old Brendan McDonough. He had been serving as a lookout, when the Fire threatened to overtake his position.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, it was the greatest loss of life for firefighters in a wildfire since 1933, the deadliest wildfire of any kind since 1991, and the greatest loss of firefighters in the United States since the September 11, attacks.
On December 4, 2013, the Industrial Commission of Arizona, which oversees workplace safety, blamed the state's Forestry Division for the deaths of the 19 firefighters, The Commission said that state fire officials knowingly put protection of property ahead of safety and should have pulled crews out earlier. The commission levied a $559,000 fine.
The last radio transmissions of 19 Arizona firefighters who died in a wildfire in June were released to the public — shedding new light on the brave group's final moments.“Yeah, I'm here with Granite Mountain Hotshots, our escape route has been cut off, said group leader Eric Marsh. We are preparing a deployment site and we are burned out around ourselves in the brush and I'll give you a call when we are under the shelters.
Firefighters, were working to save each other to the very last moment, and that is commendable.
Granite Mountain is an upcoming American drama film based on the elite crew of firefighters who battled Yarnell Hill Fire.
Team Quick Facts salute, their Bravery.
Widows of Granite Mountain Hotshots react to ‘Only the Brave’
Four years ago, the Granite Mountain Hotshots died battling a horrifying wildfire in Yarnell. On Thursday, the true story of those men who fought on the front lines premiered across the United States.
New videos released from deadly Yarnell Hill Fire (4)
The Arizona State Forestry Division released 21 videos showing firefighters battling the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona on June 30, 2013. The videos, which the state division said it obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request from the US Forest Service, show the firefighters before and after confirming that 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a wildfire crew from the Prescott Fire Department, had been killed.
Credit: Arizona State Forestry Division/US Forest Service
Firefighters die in Arizona blaze June 30,2013
Firefighters die in Arizona blaze June 30,2013
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On this day in 2013, 19 firefighters perish while battling a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona. All were members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew, an elite group of wildland firefighters that was part of the Prescott (Arizona) Fire Department. It was the deadliest day for U.S. firefighters since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
What became known as the Yarnell Hill Fire was ignited by a lightning strike at around 5:30 p.m. on June 28 near Yarnell, a former gold-mining town about 35 miles south of Prescott and 80 miles northwest of Phoenix. Two days later, on June 30, the blaze intensified and rapidly spread. That afternoon, the Granite Mountain Hotshots, who had been building a fire line (an area in which all vegetation has been removed to prevent a blaze from spreading) along a ridge top, headed down into a basin and were caught off guard when a sudden change in wind direction sent huge flames straight toward them. With nowhere to escape, the 19 members of the all-male crew deployed small emergency shelters shortly after 4:45 p.m. These shelters, last-ditch safety devices resembling sleeping bags covered in aluminum, can protect against heat but melt at extreme temperatures. The men deployed the shelters as they’d been trained, with the least experienced hotshots going first and the most experienced going last. However, the temperature of the fire reached more than 2,000 degrees, and the shelters only were designed to withstand up to 1,200 degrees.
The fallen firefighters were almost all in their 20s or 30s. The lone survivor of the 20-person Granite Mountain crew had been assigned to act as a lookout that day and wasn’t with his fellow hotshots when they were overtaken by the blaze.
The Yarnell Hill Fire finally was contained on July 10, after burning some 8,400 acres and destroying more than 100 structures. In September 2013, the Arizona State Forestry Division, which oversaw the firefighting efforts, released the results of an investigation that concluded there was no evidence of negligence or recklessness in the firefighters’ deaths. However, later that year, the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health criticized the Forestry Division’s management of the Yarnell Hill fire-suppression operations and charged the agency with, among other things, prioritizing the protection of “non-defensible structures and pastureland” ahead of firefighter safety.
“Hotshot” crews of elite firefighters got their start in Southern California in the 1940s. Today, there are approximately 110 crews across the United States.
New videos show chaos around Yarnell Hill Fire deaths
The Arizona State Forestry Division posted 21 video clips on its website on Saturday that offer little new insight on the last moments of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, the 19 firefighters who died battling the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013.
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Marine Veteran Among 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots Killed Fighting Yarnell Wildfire
June 30, 2013, 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots lost their lives protecting the community of Yarnell, AZ from a wildfire. Three of the Hotshots were Marine veterans, including their captain, Jesse Steed.
Read more about them on the Marines Blog:
Video and editing by Sgt. Jimmy D. Shea. Courtesy footage from the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
Granite Mountain Hotshot memorial procession.
The Granite Mountain/Prescott hotshots in which gave it their all in the Yarnell fire on 6/30/13 Last Alarm.
Prescott memorial for fallen Granite Mountain Hotshots
An inter-agency honor guard presents the colors on the steps of the Yavapai County Courthouse in honor of the 19 fallen Granite Mountain Hotshots.
Granite Mountain Hotshot Fallen Firefighter Honor Escort
Description from:
Under escort by the Joint Arizona Honor Guard, the fallen firefighters will be transported by 19 hearses, each accompanied by motorcycle escorts from various agencies. Within each hearse, an honor guard member will accompany each fallen firefighter. A flag will also accompany each fallen firefighter. Honors will be presented as the fallen firefighters are taken from the medical examiner's office to the waiting vehicles. Flags of the United States, the State of Arizona, and local fire departments will line the path to the vehicles. Honor Guards will flank the path to the vehicles holding ceremonial axes. Ladder trucks will hold a flag above the path. A fire engine will accompany the procession from Phoenix to Prescott. An Honor Watch will be maintained continuously so that the fallen firefighters will never be left alone until they are delivered to their families.
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