Tragedy … 19 Firefighters Killed in Arizona Were Part of Elite Hotshot Crew

REST IN PEACE HEROES.

The ‘Hotshot’ units are among the best fire fighting crews in the country and sadly we mourn the loss of 19 heroes.

CNN is reporting that 19 firefighters were killed in Arizona on Sunday battling the wild fire in Yarnell. The crew who is part of the Prescott Granite Mountain Hot Shots was fighting the Yarnell Hill fire. It is being reported that presently the fire is 0% contained. The 19 members of an elite firefighting crew who were killed Sunday tried to protect themselves by deploying tent-like structures before they were overtaken.  The fire is believed to have been started by lightening. We pray for the families and friends of the lost hero firefighters. May they rest in peace.

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.”

Much more, including tweets and pics can be seen at BuzzFeed.