Screenshot from a video by Dana Hollister of the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial in Yarnell, Arizona.
Contributed Article
WASHINGTON D.C. – On Tuesday, ahead of the eight-year anniversary of the Yarnell Hill Fire, the United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Senator Kyrsten Sinema honoring the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew who tragically lost their lives fighting the blaze. The resolution was presented today in front of firefighters, family members, and community members at the re-opening of the Eric Marsh Foundation in Prescott.
“The bravery and dedication of these nineteen heroic Granite Mountain Hotshots will never be forgotten. I am thinking of their families, loved ones, and fellow firefighters who are still feeling their loss. We owe them and all the crews currently fighting wildfires across our state a great debt of gratitude for their service to Arizona,” said Senator Mark Kelly.“At this very moment, thousands of firefighters are risking their lives in grueling conditions, and without question, they deserve better pay and benefits for their service to Arizona and our county.”
This past weekend, Kelly visited the Incident Command Post for the Backbone Fire, and previously visited the command posts of the Telegraph and Mescal Fires. He also introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a commission to study and recommend improvements to wildfire prevention and response.
