19 Arizona Firefighters Killed in Yarnell Hill Wildfire

It is the largest number of firefighters lost from one wildfire in more than 30 years, and the most from a single event since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. In total, 19 firefighters have perished while on the front lines of a wildfire in Arizona, 18 of them were members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew (pictured to the right).

The hotshots crew was fighting the Yarnell Hill fire and were on the front lines, digging a fire line and creating an escape route. The fire was caused by lightning and has grown to over 6,000 acres, damaged several homes and forced evacuations in a number of communities northwest of Phoenix. There are currently more than 200 firefighters working to contain the fire with hundreds more on the way.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends affected by this disaster.

A Facebook page was setup in remembrance of those that were lost, updates and donation information can be found on the Yarnell Hill Arizona Facebook page, and you can share this #HotShots Purple Ribbon to show your support for these firefighters.