An Arizona wildfire claimed the lives of 19 firefighters yesterday, in the deadliest such tragedy since 9/11.
The doomed crew was desperately battling a blaze that destroyed half the buildings in the small town of Yarnell — 85 miles northwest of Phoenix — as triple-digit temperatures and strong winds fueled the inferno.
Of the 19 dead, all but one were members of a group known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots, which is part of the Prescott, Ariz., Fire Department.
The firefighters were forced to deploy tent-like shelters to shield themselves from the flames and heat, but were overcome by the monumental blaze.
AP
IN THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION: A home is destroyed last night in Arizona's horrific Yarnell Hill Fire.
"The entire Hotshot crew has been killed by the fire," a shattered Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said.
The emergency shelters had to be deployed, he said, because "something drastic happened."
The Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite ground firefighting crew formed in 2002, recently battled a massive blaze in the Prescott National Forest.
They came from about 40 miles away to help battle what's being called the Yarnell Hill Fire.
The blaze, ignited Friday by lightening, gained momentum over the weekend. As fast, hot winds tore through the area yesterday, the fire spread out of control.
It burned about 1,300 acres and forced the evacuation of 600 residents in the small town.
Officials said they expected that about half of the town's 500 homes would be destroyed by the blaze.
About 200 firefighters in all were working to contain the blaze.
An additional 130 firefighters and more water- and retardant-dropping helicopters and aircraft were on their way last night.
The disaster was the biggest lost of life for firefighters in state history.
An Arizona State Forestry Division spokesman said the agency was calling in federal help to fight the fire.
Earlier yesterday, the fast-moving fire prompted evacuations of 50 homes in the towns of Buckhorn and Model Creek, about 85 miles northwest of Phoenix.
In the afternoon, the local sheriff's office expanded the evacuations to include residents in the Peeples Valley area, as well as the town of Yarnell. ,
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