Sunday, June 30th is the six-year anniversary of the loss of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew. The brave crew were overcome with the raging fire as they were protecting the community from the Yarnell Hill Fire. The 2013 fire was the deadliest wildland blaze in the country since 1933.
In their honor, the City of Prescott has scheduled a weekend-long tribute to honor the hotshot crew.
On Saturday, the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center will host the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Honor Guard and will showcase a commemorative wreath.
The wreath will be viewable to the public throughout the weekend. Board members will be in attendance to greet visitors and answers question.
The tributes will continue with the Granite Mountain Gourd Society with scheduled gourd dances that will be held at the Frontier Village Shopping Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On the anniversary on Sunday, at exactly 4:42 p.m., the bell at the Yavapai County Courthouse will ring 19 times in honor of the fallen firefighters.
In addition to the county courthouse’s plans, there will be a ringing of bells at the Yarnell Memorial Park. Speakers will include the new head of Arizona State Parks and other dignitaries.
To learn more about our state’s tragic loss, an Arizona State park was dedicated to the hotshots and opened in 2016.
