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ABC15.com published a powerful article detailing the final journey of the 19 hotshot firefighters who lost their lives while battling the Yarnell Fire in Arizona last week. The somber procession took place on Sunday, as the firefighters’ bodies were transported in individual white hearses over 125 miles through Arizona, from Phoenix to Prescott.
The five-hour-long funeral caravan began near the state Capitol in Phoenix and passed through the town where the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed. It concluded in Prescott, the community where the firefighters lived and will be laid to rest this week. Despite the triple-digit temperatures, thousands gathered along the route, standing for hours under the scorching sun to honor the fallen heroes.
Among those present were fellow firefighters, family members, strangers, and residents of Yarnell, the small town the firefighters were trying to protect. Many cried, saluted, or placed their hands over their hearts in tribute. Bill Morse, a fire captain from Flagstaff, described the scene as "heartbreaking" and "overwhelming."
In downtown Prescott, the usually lively Whiskey Row was eerily quiet as the hearses passed by. Crowds held American flags and signs reading “Courageous, selfless, fearless, beloved†and “Heroes.†Motorcycle escorts, honor guards, and firefighting trucks accompanied the procession. In both Phoenix and Prescott, the route was marked by giant American flags raised by firefighter trucks, with bagpipes playing as the crowd fell silent.
A DC-3 airplane used for wildland firefighting released long purple and pink ribbons with each firefighter’s name, which drifted down just before the hearses arrived at the medical examiner’s office. Inside each hearse, the American flags that had been draped over the men at the site of their deaths remained with them until burial, after which they would be given to their families.
Family members watched the procession from a private area, away from the media, near a large makeshift memorial outside the Prescott fire station. The memorial featured hundreds of personal messages, photos, and symbols like 19 water bottles, 19 shovels, and 19 toy fire trucks surrounding a teddy bear.
Since their deaths, the firefighters have never been alone, as is the tradition among U.S. firefighters. Paul Bourgeois, a fire chief acting as a spokesperson, said that a brother firefighter has always been present, from the moment they were taken to the medical examiner’s office until their final resting place.
The firefighters died during the Yarnell Hill fire, which started on June 28 due to lightning. The fire destroyed over 100 homes and burned nearly 13 square miles. Though the town remained evacuated, residents were expected to return home soon.
A memorial t-shirt campaign has also been launched to support the families of the fallen. The shirts are being sold through Image Apparel Solutions, with all proceeds going to a relief fund established by the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association. Donations can be made at any Chase Bank location, with 100% of the funds going directly to the families.
An accompanying article from TimesUnion.com provides more details about the conditions during the fire's burnover.