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The Yarnell Hill Fire was a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona, ignited by dry lightning on June 28, 2013. On June 30, it overran and killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Just one of the hotshots on the crew survived—he was posted as a lookout on the fire and was not with the others when the fire overtook them.
May 20, 2021 · The Granite Mountain Hotshots, also known as the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew, was a tight-knit team of wildland firefighters within the Prescott (Arizona) Fire Department.
- They heard the news early. The Helms were among the first to find out that a crew of 19 firefighters had died nearby. A firefighter walked up to Diane Helm, who was in her yard surveying damage after the fire.
- The 'safety zone' wasn't planned. Yarnell Hill Fire officials had identified the Helms' 60-acre ranch as being "excellent safety zone" and a "bomb-proof safety zone" for firefighters because of the lack of brush and trees.
- The ranch had another name. Their ranch was identified on fire maps and later in books and magazine articles about the Yarnell Hill Fire as "Boulder Springs Ranch."
- The fire burned over, not around. The Helms didn't evacuate as the Yarnell Hill Fire bore down. The fire was moving too fast. They also didn't want to leave their 22 animals.
Jun 26, 2023 · Learn about the wildland firefighting crew that was killed by a firestorm in 2013, the causes and consequences of the blaze, and the legacy of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
- Sarah Lapidus
- Southern Arizona Reporter
- Andrew Ashcraft, 29. Andrew Sterling Ashcraft was born on February 15, 1984, to parents Deborah Pfingston and Thomas Ashcraft in Orange, California. At the age of five, Andrew moved to Prescott with his family, where he spent the next 24 years of his life with his brother, Thomas James (T.J.)
- Robert Caldwell, 23. “I’d rather die in my boots than live in a suit.” Robert Caldwell lived by these words and was always a man true to his word. He died with honor, with his brothers, in the line of duty with his boots tight on his feet.
- Travis Carter, 31. Travis Carter was born on August 7, 1982, in Prescott, Arizona, to Tripp Carter and Glenna Eckel. As a little boy, he loved to work on the Necktie Ranch in Walnut Grove with his dad, Trip Carter, and grandpa, Arden Carter.
- Dustin DeFord, 24. Dustin James DeFord, 24, was born December 13, 1988, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Steve and Celeste (Crago) DeFord. Dustin joined brothers Brandon, Darren, Jonathan, and Ryan.
Learn about the 19 firefighters who lost their lives in the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013 while fighting to protect their community. Read their biographies, see their photos and honor their legacy at the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center.
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On June 30, 2013, Nineteen of the 20 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew trained to fight wilderness fires, died as they battled a fire outside of Yarnell. The Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park is dedicated to their sacrifice.
