Heroes All–19 Fallen and One to Carry On

By: Robert Avsec

Let us never forget that there were 20 members on the Prescott-based Granite Mountain Hotshots on that fateful June 30th, 2013.  Firefighter Brendan McDonough was serving as a lookout–a critical job function in wildland firefighting operations–and relaying key information to his colleagues when a raging wildfire trapped and killed 19 of his brother firefighters.  By all accounts, Firefighter McDonough did his job and did it well.

For that, we must never forget that 20 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots went to Yarnell, Arizona on that fateful Sunday in June…

Photographs of the 19 members of Granite Mountain Hotshots who perished while fighting wildfire outside Yarnell, AZ.

Photographs of the 19 members of Granite Mountain Hotshots who perished while fighting wildfire outside Yarnell, AZ.

A collection of some of the tributes (from across the Internet) to the members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who gave their lives in the service of others on June 30th, 2013.

Smokey Bear and Friends Mourn

HerosMemorialOrgSmokey Bear and Friends Mourn_2

Source: Paul C. Combs. Drawing Fire. From Fireengineering.com

Source: Paul C. Combs. Drawing Fire. From Fireengineering.com

Prescott MedallionRIP Prescott 19

About Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer

Battalion Chief (Ret.) Robert Avsec served with the men and women of the Chesterfield County (VA) Fire and EMS Department for 26 years. He’s now using his acquired knowledge, skills, and experiences as a freelance writer for FireRescue1.com and as the “blogger in chief” for this blog. Chief Avsec makes his home in Cross Lanes, WV. Contact him via e-mail, [email protected].