DISASTER 19 firefighters dead battling Arizona blaze

Red Baron

Red Baron

Paleo-Conservative
_______________
Presser,

- 8,000 acre fire is 0% contained.

- Recovery of the bodies is the #1 priority.
 
Red Baron

Red Baron

Paleo-Conservative
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mzkitty said:
Shouldn't have happened...... What were they thinking sending them in? Oh. They weren't.
Click to expand...

I'll say it ...

With 19 firefighters dead and over two hundred structures burned in Yarnell, I'll say that this operation is a major failure.

The fire is 0% contained and there are conflicting reports that the bodies have even been recovered yet.
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.

19 fallen firefighters have been removed from scene of Arizona fire, official says - @nbcnightlynews

14 mins ago by editor


Fallen firefighters had air support in the area; investigation underway to determine why it wasn't effective - Live video

8 mins ago by editor


Don't even want to hear it. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
I'm just so disgusted......



50 structures lost in Arizona's Yarnell Hill fire; 250 residential homes and 25 commercial buildings threatened - @abc15

15 mins ago by editor
 
geoffs

geoffs

Veteran Member
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Pebbles

Pebbles

Veteran Member
Heartbreaking, the Superintendent of the group, Eric Marsh, was the husband of the woman who trims our horse's feet. I know all here will pray for these devastated families. Eric loved what he did. The group has recently returned from fighting the Doce fire in New Mexico.
 
marsh

marsh

On TB every waking moment
Please send them our love and support. Our mountain county of Siskiyou is sending our thoughts and prayers. We know what living with wildfire is like. We just lost a firefighter to our east.
 
D

dash8200

Senior Member
The Doce Fire is actually in AZ. It consumed Granite Mountain by Prescott. It is now 92% contained. The Hotshots did fight that fire. There are signs in neighborhoods thanking them and the other firefighters.

It was another group of wildfire fighters that went to New Mexico I believe. I know one of them. He is on his way home to a very upset wife, family, and community.

Mrs. Dash
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.

19 firefighters who were killed in Arizona wildfire have been named - @AP

10 mins ago from bigstory.ap.org by editor

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PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — Nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, based in Prescott, Ariz., were killed Sunday evening when a windblown wildfire overcame them north of Phoenix. It was the deadliest single day for U.S. firefighters since Sept. 11. Fourteen of the victims were in their 20s. Here are the stories of some of those who died:

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KEVIN WOYJECK: FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS

For 21-year-old Kevin Woyjeck, the fire station was always a second home. His father, Capt. Joe Woyjeck, is a nearly 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Keith Mora, an inspector with that agency, said Kevin often accompanied his dad to the station and on ride-alongs, and always intended to follow in his footsteps.

"He wanted to become a firefighter like his dad and hopefully work hand-in-hand," Mora said Monday outside of the fire station in Seal Beach, Calif., where the Woyjeck family lives.

Mora remembered the younger Woyjeck as a "joy to be around," a man who always had a smile on his face. He had been trained as an EMT and worked as an Explorer, which is a mentorship training program to become a professional firefighter.

"He was a great kid. Unbelievable sense of humor, work ethic that was not parallel to many kids I've seen at that age. He wanted to work very hard."

As he spoke, Mora stood before an American flag that had been lowered to half-staff. His own fire badge was covered with a black elastic band, a show of respect and mourning for those lost in the line of duty.

___

CHRIS MACKENZIE: 'JUST LIKE HIS DAD'

An avid snowboarder, 30-year-old Chris MacKenzie grew up in California's San Jacinto Valley, where he was a 2001 graduate of Hemet High School and a former member of the town's fire department. He joined the U.S. Forest Service in 2004, then transferred two years ago to the Prescott Fire Department, longtime friend Dav Fulford-Brown told The Riverside Press-Enterprise.

MacKenzie, like at least one other member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, had followed his father into firefighting. Michael MacKenzie, a former Moreno Valley Fire Department captain, confirmed that he had been informed of his son's death.

"I can't talk about it," he said.

Fulford-Brown, also a former firefighter, feared for the worst as soon as he heard the news of the Arizona firefighters. "I said, 'Oh my God, that's Chris' crew.' I started calling him and calling him and got no answer," he told The Press-Enterprise. MacKenzie, he said, "lived life to the fullest ... and was fighting fire just like his dad."

"He was finishing his credentials to get promoted and loved the people. It's an insane tragedy.

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BILLY WARNEKE: 'DOING WHAT HE LOVED'

Billy Warneke, 25, and his wife, Roxanne, were expecting their first child in December, his grandmother, Nancy Warneke, told The Press-Enterprise newspaper in Riverside, Calif. Warneke grew up in Hemet, Calif., along with his fellow Granite Mountain hotshot, Chris MacKenzie. He was a four-year Marine Corps veteran who served a tour in Iraq and had joined the hotshot crew in April, buying a property in Prescott, near where his sister lived, the newspaper reported.

Nancy Warneke said she called Billy's sister after seeing the fire on the news.

"She said, 'He's gone. They're all gone,'" Nancy Warneke told The Press-Enterprise. "Even though it's a tragedy for the whole family, he was doing what he loved to do. He loved nature and was helping preserve nature."

___

SCOTT NORRIS: THE 'IDEAL AMERICAN GENTELMAN'

Scott Norris, 28, was known around Prescott through his part-time job at Bucky O'Neill Guns.

"Here in Arizona the gun shops are a lot like barbershops. Sometimes you don't go in there to buy anything at all, you just go to talk," said resident William O'Hara. "I never heard a dirty word out of the guy. He was the kind of guy who if he dated your daughter, you'd be OK with it.

"He was just a model of a young, ideal American gentleman."

O'Hara's son Ryan, 19, said Norris' life and tragic death had inspired him to live a more meaningful life.

"He was a loving guy. He loved life. And I've been guilty of not looking as happy as I should, and letting things get to me, and Scott wasn't like that at all."

___

ANDREW ASHCRAFT: AN ATHLETIC, GO-GETTER

Prescott High School physical education teacher and coach Lou Beneitone taught many of the Hotshots, and remembered 29-year-old Andrew Ashcraft as a fitness-oriented student.

"He had some athletic ability in him and he was a go-getter, too. You could pretty much see, from young freshman all the way, he was going to be physically active."

Beneitone said athletic prowess was a must for the Hotshots. "That's what it takes. You gotta be very physically fit, and you gotta like it, gotta like the hard work."

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— Anthony Rose, 23

— Eric Marsh, 43

— Robert Caldwell, 23

— Clayton Whitted , 28

— Dustin Deford, 24

— Sean Misner, 26

— Garret Zuppiger, 27

— Travis Carter, 31

— GrantMcKee, 21

— Travis Turbyfill, 27

— JesseSteed, 36

— Wade Parker, 22

— Joe Thurston, 32

— John Percin, 24


http://bigstory.ap.org/article/hotshots-killed-ariz-fire-remembered-mourned
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.

Feds assume command of Yarnell fire firefighting efforts - @azcentral

29 mins ago from www.azcentral.com by editor

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Mon Jul 1, 2013 5:51 PM

The U.S. Forest Service at 6 p.m. Monday was expected to take command of firefighting efforts in the deadly Yarnell Hill Fire.

Once the fire is under the federal agency’s control, it shifts from a “Type 2 fire” commanded by the Arizona State Forestry Division to a “Type 1 fire,” considered the most serious. The incident commander will be Clay Templin of the U.S. Forest Service.

“When you put a Type 1 team on a fire, that itself is a significant step. It puts more focus on it,” said Randy Eardley, spokesman at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.

Specifically:

Type 1 teams have the most experience and training.

The U.S. Forest Service, not the Arizona State Forestry Division, will make decisions about the use and deployment of resources.

It creates the potential to bring in more resources, quicker.

Type 1 teams tend to be larger, with more specialized experts, such on-site National Weather Service forecasters to run up-to-the minute weather models.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/arizo...assume-command-from-arizona.html?sf14560550=1
 
A

Amazed

Does too have a life!
This just breaks my heart. All those young men in the prime of life - gone. And all who loved them reeling from sorrow. It seems every year there are more and more terrible fires. :shk:
 
N

night driver

ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
I THINK I know Clay from NIMS classes. If he IS who I think he is, ABSOLUTELY DYNAMITE guy. KNOWS his stuff, no (effin) nonsense guy. Commands (and deserves) respect from all and sundry coming in to work the incident. Give my right arm to be his deputy Plans guy in a heartbeat. (Never happen since I don't have my Red Card and can never qualify physically now.)
 
D

Dozdoats

On TB every waking moment
1 July was another sad first anniversary...
===========================

http://wildfiretoday.com/2012/11/14...-micorburst-caused-crash-of-maffs-air-tanker/
Posted on November 14, 2012 by Bill Gabbert

C-130-MAFFS-crash-July-1-2012-US-Air-Force-photo.jpg


C-130 MAFFS air tanker crash, July 1, 2012. US Air Force photo

(Update: On November 29, 2012 the Air Force released the full report on the crash. More details are at FireAviation.com HERE and HERE.)

A US Air Force report concluded that strong winds out of a thunderstorm caused the crash of a military C-130 air tanker July 1. The accident occurred on the White Draw Fire near Edgemont, South Dakota and resulted in four fatalities. Two crewmen in the rear of the aircraft were injured but survived. Those two were operating the Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) in the cargo hold which enables the C-130 to function as an air tanker, capable of dropping up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant.

MAFFS-C-130-crash-White-Draw-Fire-July-1-2012-US-Air-Force-photo1.jpg


MAFFS C-130 crash, White Draw Fire, July 1, 2012. US Air Force photo

The report said a microburst of turbulent air out of a thunderstorm caused the crash. During a previous retardant drop on the fire the aircraft experienced a drop in airspeed despite operating under full power. Before the second drop the crew discussed the air speed problem but decided they could adjust to the conditions. The plane crashed on the second drop about five minutes after the first one.

A lead plane flying a half-mile ahead of the C-130 experienced a microburst that pushed it within 10 feet of the ground. According to a news release from the Department of Defense:

The investigation also determined factors that substantially contributed to the mishap included the failure of the Lead Plane and Air Attack aircrews to communicate critical operational information; as well as conflicting operational guidance concerning thunderstorm avoidance.

“If you add all the pieces up, it was very clear they should not have attempted the second drop,” said Brig. Gen. Randall Guthrie, the Air Force Reserve officer who led the investigation. “With all apparent conditions, they should not have gone ahead.”

The Associated Press reports:

“They struggled to keep that [lead] plane flying,” Guthrie said. A second small plane also reported “more than moderate turbulence.”

The crews of those planes failed to alert the trailing C-130 to go around the storm, the investigation found. Instead, the lead plane crew advised the C-130 to drop its load of retardant to lighten the craft to help it climb.

“We felt like they had information and the importance of that information was not passed,” Guthrie said. Those crews later said “they also didn’t really add all those factors up themselves.”

The C-130 dropped the retardant but crashed seconds later, dropping into a lightly-wooded plateau, then into a ravine and breaking apart.

The aircraft that crashed was MAFFS #7 from the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing based at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

We are working on obtaining a copy of the full report. We we get it, we’ll update this article with a link.

Killed in the crash were Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, 42, of Mooresville; Maj. Joseph McCormick, 36, of Belmont; Maj. Ryan David, 35, of Boone; and Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cannon, 50, of Charlotte. The two seriously injured were Chief Master Sgt. Andy Huneycutt and Sgt. Josh Marlowe of Boiling Springs.
 
N

NamasteMama

Senior Member
dash8200 said:
This is touching everyone in the community. One of the beautiful souls lost actually gave my son a car. He gave it to him because he and his wife were expecting a baby, and they wanted a newer car. She is eight months pregnant. She spent the night in the hospital because she was so upset. Thankfully, she and the baby she is carrying seem to be alright for now.

I may be taking care of children of firefighters today. Please pray for everyone.

Mrs. Dash
Click to expand...
I grew up in Prescott and my brother in law was and EMT in the are up until last month and was best friends with many of those guys. It takes my breath away at such a horrible thing. It's so hot and dry please pray for rain!
 
Seeker

Seeker

3 Bombs for Hawkins
Fire is still 0 per cent contained. 8 radio stations in Phoenixare raising funds, Safeway Stores throughout the Valley are collecting food donations to feed the displaced families of Yarnell. More about the 100 Club to follow . . .

The 100 Club will update this memorial as we continue to receive more information about the tragedy that occurred while fighting the Yarnell Fire on June 30, 2013. It is confirmed 19 firefighters, members of the Prescott Fire Department's Granite Mountain Hotshots were lost while battling the blaze. Our hearts and prayers are with these families, the Prescott Fire Department, and the community affected by this fire.

http://www.100club.org/web/100Club
 
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N

night driver

ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
This guy is going to need to talk to Marcus Lutrell or someone like him... If Lutrell is available to help.


Arizona firefighter who survived has a tough road ahead


Arizona wildfire surviving firefighter

2013 Getty Images

Melissa Lee and daughter Ashley Lee of Prescott, Ariz., leave flowers Monday, July 1, at a memorial set up outside Station 7 in Prescott.
MSN News 16 hr ago | By Adam Martin of MSN News



The fire department and the lone survivor from the elite team of firefighters killed in Arizona face a tough recovery.






The lone surviving team member from an elite team of firefighters killed near Yarnell, Ariz., Sunday, along with the rest of the fire department, likely will face a painful recovery from the scarring known as survivor's guilt, experts say.

"It's based on a set of beliefs that people have that essentially says, 'I should not have survived,' " said Michael Mantell, Ph.D., a behavioral-science expert with 40 years in the field. "They blame themselves for causing other people to die. They may feel they have no right to live." It may seem irrational to an outside observer, Mantell said, but survivor's guilt is real, and common in situations such as this one.

"We call them post-traumatic stress injuries," said Ellen Kirschman, Ph.D., a psychologist with 30 years' experience working with police, firefighters and paramedics, and the author of "I Love a Firefighter: What the Family Needs to Know." Post-traumatic stress disorder, as we often refer to it, suggests an unyielding condition, while the word "injury" suggests a path to recovery.

The fire that took the lives of 19 firefighters continued to rage out of control Monday, growing to 8,374 and destroying about 200 homes. Gusty winds, high temperatures and a decade's worth of drought have made the fire unpredictable and difficult to control.

Related: Deadly Arizona wildfire: Are firefighting tactics archaic?

Those who died were members of an elite crew of firefighters known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots, specially trained to fight wildfires in the roughest terrain by removing fuel, often with axes and chain saws that they carry in on their backs. Arizona has 13 hotshot crews in total, each with about 20 members.

Although authorities haven't said exactly how the team became trapped in the fire, they have said the one member survived because he was away from the danger, moving their truck. "He's the only one who made it out because he was jockeying equipment at the time," Arizona Forestry Division spokesman Mike Reichling said.

"There will be lots of after-action reports: How did it happen? Were mistakes made? And this is very painful for the survivor. Part of the survivor's guilt is that many firefighters will take it upon themselves and say 'if only,' fill in the blank," Kirschman said.

Related: 19 firefighters killed battling Arizona wildfire

The most important thing for a person dealing with a loss of his colleagues, Kirschman said, is to talk about it with other firefighters. "They often live together. They are like family to one another. And the support will come mostly from the other firefighters, who will pull together." That's especially true as the department investigates the incident. "There’s a fine line between learning from a tragedy and blaming somebody."

For people who have gone through similar trauma, Mantell said he uses a series of psychological exercises, including visualizing a conversation with the deceased: "Let's ask them if they hold you accountable. Let's ask them if they want you to go on suffering in life. Typically, in rapid fashion, that helps people understand what the deceased would want."

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