The Los Angeles Times is noting that “an extensive and intriguing story in a Phoenix newspaper suggests that there might be more to the deaths of 19 elite firefighters this summer than just a freak storm that whipped the fire near Yarnell, Ariz., around them, cutting off their escape.”
The Times is referring to InvestigativeMEDIA’s feature on the Granite Mountain Hotshots that was also published in the Phoenix New Times.
“There have been angry outcries against anyone who even suggests the possibility of human error in the Yarnell fire,” writes Karin Klein. “Some of the hotshot team’s supporters have said that even if there were shortcomings on the part of the team, they should be kept confidential, imparted only to other firefighters to prevent further harm. That’s ridiculous. Such findings wouldn’t detract from the bravery these men showed in their chosen careers or the grueling work they undertook on the part of the public. They don’t have to be enshrined as perfect human beings to be admired.
The public, which also mourns them and has an interest in preventing future tragedies, has a right to know what happened.”
