Hotshots Memorial Partnership picks Sonoita artist’s memorial design

PHOENIX — After receiving design proposals from around the world, a decision has been made.

The Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Partnership announced Sonoita artist Deborah Fellows and her vision of the memorial was selected Friday.

The memorial will be located at the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza in downtown Prescott.

The Yarnell Hill Fire, which was caused by lightning and burned more than 8,400 acres of land in June of 2013, destroyed 129 buildings and took the lives of the 19 city of Prescott firefighters.

It was the deadliest event to occur to a group of firefighters at once since the 9/11 terrorist attack.

After cutting down the list, the partnership brought the five remaining artists to Prescott for interviews with the group. They spent a day and a night near the plaza where the memorial will stand, allowing them to experience the location.

Three out of the five selected were then offered to make additional presentations of their designs. After hours of deliberation, the Memorial Partnership decided on Fellows’ design as the “most appropriate way to honor the Granite Mountain Hotshots and to meet the expectations of the community at the location selected.”

Deborah and her husband Fred operate Fellows Studios in Sonoita.

To follow the progress of the memorial, visit the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial website or on Twitter.

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