10 years after deadly Yarnell Hill Fire, events to honor Granite Mountain Hotshots
Jun 27, 2023, 9:30 AM
(Facebook Photo/Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center)
(Facebook Photo/Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center)
PHOENIX – Ten years after the deadliest day in Arizona firefighting history, the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who lost their lives in the Yarnell Hill Fire will be remembered Friday at several Prescott-area events.
A public memorial ceremony starting at 3 p.m. will commemorate the fallen firefighters and their loved ones at the Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Prescott Mayor Phil Goode, fire service leaders and Ryder Ashcraft, son of fallen Granite Mountain Hotshot Andrew Ashcraft, are among the scheduled speakers. Brendan McDonough, the lone surviving member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew, will read the Hotshot’s Prayer as part of the tribute.
The 90-minute event will include a missing man formation flyover out of Luke Air Force Base and conclude with the courthouse bells tolling 19 times.
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Attendees should plan for extra time because some roads around the courthouse at 120 S. Cortez St. will be closed because of multiple events.
“The 19, their families and Brendan have never been out of our hearts,” Ben Roché, president of the United Yavapai Fire Fighters, said in a press release.
“We were honored to have them as members, and we continue to salute their courage and fierce commitment to our community. Ten years later, I still marvel at the impact these men and their survivors have had on our city, our state and the fire service.”
Another remembrance will be held Friday at the Yarnell Hill Fire Memorial Park off State Route 89 southwest of Prescott. The hourlong program starts at 3:45 p.m. and will include family members, poetry, music, firefighters and residents who were involved in the community’s recovery efforts.
The daylong Granite Mountain Hotshots Remembrance Event will also take place Friday along Granite Street in downtown Prescott, with food trucks, a bounce house, a beer garden and concerts by Steven Cade and Ryan Weaver. Admission is $5 for the festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park, which opened in 2016, won’t be hosting a memorial event this year because of limited parking. Arizona State Parks and Trails is referring those wanting to pay their respects to the other Prescott-area activities.
