ABC15.com published a moving article detailing the final journey of 19 hotshot firefighters who lost their lives while battling the Yarnell Fire in Arizona last week. The story captures the emotional and solemn processional that took place as the firefighters’ bodies were returned home.
PHOENIX – On Sunday, the 19 firefighters who died in the wildfire a week earlier made their final trip home, traveling in individual white hearses in a quiet, somber caravan spanning 125 miles through Arizona. The five-hour procession began near the state Capitol in Phoenix, passed through the town where the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed, and ended in Prescott, the mountain community where they lived and will be laid to rest this week.
Thousands of people gathered along the route, braving triple-digit temperatures, to pay their respects. Crowds lined highways, overpasses, and downtown Prescott, showing deep admiration for the men whose deaths marked the largest loss of firefighter lives since 9/11. Among them were fellow firefighters, family members, strangers, and residents of Yarnell, the town the firefighters had tried to protect.
Many stood in silence, saluted, or held their hands over their hearts. “It’s overwhelming to watch this slow procession of 19 hearses,†said Bill Morse, a fire captain from Flagstaff. “The ceremonious air of it all. It’s heartbreaking.â€
In downtown Prescott, Whiskey Row, usually bustling with bars and businesses, fell eerily quiet as the hearses passed by. People carried flags and signs reading “Courageous, selfless, fearless, beloved†and “Yarnell remembers.†Motorcycle escorts, honor guards, and firefighting trucks accompanied the procession, while bagpipes played as the crowd fell silent.
A DC-3 plane used for wildland firefighting released long purple and pink ribbons overhead, each bearing the name of a fallen firefighter. The ribbons drifted down just before the hearses stopped outside the medical examiner's office.
Inside each hearse was an American flag that had been draped over the men at the scene of their deaths. These flags will remain with them until burial, after which they will be given to their families.
Family members watched the procession privately, away from the media, near a large makeshift memorial outside the Prescott fire station. The memorial featured hundreds of personal messages, photos, flags, and creative displays like 19 water bottles and toy fire trucks surrounding a stuffed bear.
Since their bodies were found, the firefighters have never been alone. A tradition among U.S. firefighters is to never leave a fallen brother behind. “From the time they were taken to the medical examiner, while they’re at the medical examiner’s office, when they are received in a funeral home — there will always be a brother firefighter on site with them until they are interred,†said Paul Bourgeois, a fire chief acting as a spokesman for the families.
The firefighters were killed during the Yarnell Hill fire, which started on June 28 due to lightning. At the time of their deaths, crews were close to containing the fire, which had destroyed over 100 homes and burned about 13 square miles. The town remained evacuated, but residents were expected to return soon.
A memorial t-shirt campaign has also been launched to support the families. The shirts, sold by Image Apparel Solutions, are part of a fundraiser in partnership with the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association, a non-profit organization that has set up a relief fund. All proceeds go directly to the families of the fallen firefighters.
For more information, visit the official website or make a donation at any Chase bank. The account details are available online, and donors can contact the association for assistance.
An article from TimesUnion.com provides additional details and images of the fire conditions that led to the tragedy.
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