In Memorium: The Yarnell 19

Greater love has no one than this: 

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15:13 

A devastating wildfire that claimed the lives

 of 19 fire-fighters from an elite 'Hotshot' crew based in 

Prescott, Arizona has engulfed more than 8,370 acres, 

according to state officials.

~Tim Walker, The Independent

I am an Arizona girl - born and bred.  I was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and was adopted by a couple who were from the Prescott area.  Although we made our home in the Valley of the Sun, Grandma still lived above the heat line in Prescott, so we spent a significant amount of our summer vacation "up the mountain."   Before the I-17 freeway was constructed, we traversed an old dirt road that wound from Phoenix to Prescott - a route that took us up and over Yarnell Hill.  The memories of those times are clear as a bell:  Our 1954 Chevy station wagon (no AC, of course!) with every available window rolled down, loaded with our parents, three kids, a dog, and a parakeet in a cage on my lap.  The cage was covered with a damp cloth that would provide the bird with a kind of evaporative cooling.  We all held our breath as the car chugged up that hill, hoping and praying that the Chevy would not overheat in the brutal summer sun.

The photograph above is of a home burning in the town of Yarnell where 19 men lost their lives on Sunday as fire crews fought a massive lightning-triggered blaze that suddenly turned on them.  The inferno killed almost the entire Prescott-based crew known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots.   A recent profile in the Prescott Daily Courier described the Hotshots as “an elite ground fire-fighting crew known for their innovative problem-solving and history of safe, aggressive fire suppression."  The average age of the firefighters was 22 [The Independent].

On this bright, beautiful Independence Day holiday, I would like to pay tribute to the 19 young men who gave their lives to protect their neighbors' lives and property.  I would ask for your prayers:

• For the families of the fallen crew - parents, spouses, children.  
• For the remaining firefighters who are battling a blaze that is still completely out of control. 
• For the families of Yarnell and neighboring towns who have lost their homes and possessions

If you would like to donate to the families of the fallen men:

• The Arizona Diamondbacks major league baseball organization is asking for $19 donations that the organization will match up to $100,000.  You can donate at:  dbacks.com/donate
•  The United Phoenix Fire Association. All of the proceeds raised will go directly to the families of the fallen. To donate, mail a donation to United Phoenix Fire Association, 61 E. Columbus St., Phoenix, AZ 85012.  Indicate that your donation is for the families of the Yarnell 19.

Yarnell 19

Rest In Peace