The 19 firefighters who gave their lives battling a horrific blaze in Yarnell, Arizona have been named by loved ones on the memorial Facebook page.
The lightning-sparked wildfire was aided in spreading by high heat, shifting winds and low-humidity. The blaze, which is currently ongoing, has spread to cover around 2,000 acres. The group were known as the “Granite Mountain Hotshots” and they were considered the Navy SEALS of firefighting. The elite group trained for years to earn the title of “Hotshots” and would often hike miles toward a fire with up to 40 pounds of gear on their bodies. The group’s website shows the guiding statement for the crew was:
Problem solving, teamwork, ability to make decisions in a stressful environment and being nice are the attributes of our crewmembers.
Here are your heroes…
Andrew Ashcraft, 29
Robert Caldwell, 23
Travis Carter, 31
Dustin Deford, 24
Chris MacKenzie, 30
Eric Marsh, 43
Grant McKee, 21
Sean Misner, 26
Scott Norris, 28
Wade Parker, 22
John Percin, 24
Anthony Rose, 23
Jesse Steed, 36
Joe Thurston, 32
Travis Turbyfill, 27
William Warneke, 25
Clayton Whitted, 28
Kevin Woyjeck, 21
Garret Zuppiger, 27