Honoring Our Bravest in Arizona

Without a doubt, there are many brave souls whose selfless acts have earned our collective gratitude and respect. Here in Arizona, home of Prescott’s Granite Mountain Hotshot Crew-members who died while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in June of 2013, we have special places to remember our brave firefighters. Nineteen members of the young and fearless Granite Mountain Hotshot Crew tragically lost their lives in an effort to save the small ranching town of Yarnell, about 30 miles southwest of Prescott. The 2017 feature film, Only the Brave starring Josh Brolin, recounts both the elevation of the crew to Hotshot status (the elite training and certification necessary to fight wildfires) and the family lives of the men who ultimately gave their lives defending a rural Arizona town.

In honor of the fallen firefighters, the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew has opened a Learning and Tribute Center at the Prescott Gateway Mall in Prescott, AZ, where visitors can learn about wildland fires, firefighting, and see artifacts and memorabilia from the Granite Mountain Hotshot Crew and firefighting crews around the country.

Another inspiring way Arizona recognizes its heroes is also open for visitor reflection. The Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park in Yarnell offers visitors the opportunity to hike the Hotshot Trail through the Weaver Mountains. Along the arduous 7-mile round-trip hike, visitors will ascend 200+ stone carved stairs, and view 19 granite plaques (one for each firefighter) that are set into boulders. Memorial benches also line the trail that leads toward the Observation Deck where well-wishers often leave mementos in honor of the firefighters. From the Observation Deck, the path the Hotshots took to their last stand against the treacherous blaze is visible. From there, the final 3/4 mile trek is called the Journey Trail and leads to the final memorial site, a circle of wire gabions that surround the memorial flagpole and the 19 crosses in the center of the enclosure.

Those interested in honoring our nation’s firefighters should also visit the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Phoenix. With nearly an acre of fire history exhibits, including over 130 wheeled apparatus and thousands of smaller artifacts. Among the six exhibit galleries is a 2,500 square foot area dedicated to the history of wildland firefighting in the United States. A replica of a lookout cabin and various information about about smoke jumpers, helitack crews, hotshots and other specially trained firefighters.

The Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting is also home to the National Firefighting Hall of Heroes, a 3,000 square foot gallery that names thousands of American firefighters who have died in the line of duty, and maintains a registry database of more than 9,000 US firefighters who have been recognized for bravery.

If your visit to Arizona has you yearning for a meaningful experience, we humbly suggest paying a visit to one of these dedicated destinations. Learn, explore, hike and honor our firefighters while in Arizona.

Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting 6101 E Van Buren St., Phoenix AZ 85008 (602) 275-3473 www.hallofflame.org

Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Tribute & Learning Center 3250 Gateway Blvd, Prescott, AZ 86303 www.gmihc19.org

Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park 2 mi. S of Yarnell, AZ on Hwy 89 S www.azstateparks.com/hotshots