19 elite firefighters killed while battling wildfire in Arizona

19 members of the same elite firefighting team died Sunday while battling a raging and fast-moving wildfire in Arizona. The tragedy marks the deadliest single incident for firefighters since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, officials said.

President Obama said that the “thoughts and prayers” of all Americans would be with the family and loved ones of those who perished near the town of Yarnell, Arizona.

Mary Rasmussen, a spokeswoman for the Prescott National Forest, said that all 19 killed were members of the 20-strong Granite Mountain Hotshots, a crew based out of Prescott, Arizona that had recently faced fires in New Mexico and their home state in recent weeks.

Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said:

“These are the guys that will go out there with 40, 50 pounds of equipment. They’ll sleep out there as they try to develop fire lines and put protection between homes and natural resources and still try to remain safe.”

The wife of one of the firefighters that perished, Juliann Ashcroft, said she learned of her husband’s death while watching news reports with her four children. Through tears she stated, “They died heroes, and we’ll miss them. We love them.”

The one surviving crew member was at a different location, a lookout tower several miles away from the blaze.

Rasmussen added that “this would have involved getting close to the flames – one foot in the black and one foot in the green – and trying to create a fire break devoid of fuel.”

Investigators believe the blaze was ignited by lightning strikes. It also destroyed more than 200 buildings in the town of Yarnell, which is home to about 700 people.

Obama added that these firefighters were, “heroes — highly-skilled professionals who, like so many across our country do every day, selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to protect the lives and property of fellow citizens they would never meet. Michelle and I join all Americans in sending our thoughts and prayers to the families of these brave firefighters and all whose lives have been upended by this terrible tragedy.”

Via the Hotshots website they say of their mission:

The Prescott Fire Department is proud to host the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew. From our beginning as a fuels mitigation crew in 2002, through the formation of Crew 7 (Type 2 I/A) in 2004, and our transition into the elite Hotshot community in 2008, our goal has been to provide our customers with “Excellence in Service” through our superior physical conditioning, our commitment to training, innovative problem solving, and our history of safe and aggressive fire suppression.

We back our President’s sentiments in sending out our condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. This is for them:

I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love bring us love…