Arizonans hold memorial for Granite Mountain Hotshots
PRESCOTT, Ariz. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - It's been ten years since 19 firefighters, known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots, lost their lives battling one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history.
On Friday, hundreds of people gathered in Prescott for the commemoration ceremony. In true fire service tradition, the reading of the 19 names along with the ringing of the firefighter's bell.
The 20-man crew became trapped while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013. Only two days earlier, the fire had been ignited by a lightning strike and spread erratically due to high winds.
Only one of the hotshots survived.
Ryder Ashcraft, the son of fallen Hotshot Andrew Ashcraft, was just six years old when his father died. He delivered a poignant speech in remembrance of his dad.
"I'm here to tell you, there is never a guarantee you're going to have the next day with the ones you love and today, today is a hard one for all of us. May we honor our fallen by standing taller and sharing their messages. Never forget the souls and symbols that made the Granite Mountain Hotshots who they were. They left a powerful legacy. A mission with a momentum that even death can't defeat. And I love you dad. I hope I'm making you proud. And I choose to be better, just like you," Ashcraft spoke.
