Investigative MEDIA

Chapter III for comments

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Please begin a new comment section below as Chapter II is filling up. Please keep the dialogue positive and informative. I’m working on upgrading the site to handle the heavy comment load.

And, I’m in the process of uploading the entire Arizona Forestry Division SAIR supplemental data. It’s 58GB of data and is taking considerable time. Thank you for your patience.

Twelve Granite Mountain Hotshot Families File Wrongful Death Claims Seeking $237.5 Million

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By John Dougherty

The families of 12 of the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed on June 30 in the Yarnell Hill Fire today filed notice of claims with the city of Prescott, Central Yavapai County Fire District, the Arizona Forestry Division, Yavapai County and four fire commanders seeking $237.5 million in damages.

On July 3, Investigators inspect the location where the Granite Mountain Hotshots were entrapped by flames three days earlier.

Investigators on July 3 inspect the location where the Granite Mountain Hotshots were entrapped by flames four days earlier. (Photo: Arizona State Forestry Division)

Prescott attorney Thomas Kelly, who once served as assistant superintendent of the Prescott Hotshots, filed the claims on behalf of the families that includes several of the crew’s most experienced members including Granite Mountain Hotshot Captain Jesse Steed.

The claims name four fire commanders who were working under the state’s direction on June 30: Roy Hall, incident commander, Arizona State Forestry Division; Russ Shumate, incident commander, Arizona State Forestry Division; Todd Abel, field operations chief, Central Yavapai Fire District; and Darrell Willis, Wildlands Division Chief, Prescott Fire Department. [Read more…]

Personal Attacks and Name Calling in Comments Will Not be Tolerated

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Please refrain from ANY personal attacks or nasty comments concerning anyone posting on this site. Please maintain a professional approach to discussing the issues. Disagreement is natural. But name calling will not be tolerated and anyone who continues to post in this manner will be permanently blocked from the site. Thank you, John

Granite Mountain Hotshots Were Asked if they Could Protect Yarnell

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By John Dougherty

Published Wed., Dec. 11 2013 at 11:38 AM in Phoenix New Times

yarnell-feature-12-12.jpg
Illustration by Pat Kinsella

A state fire supervisor asked the Granite Mountain Hotshots whether they could assist in Yarnell minutes before the 19-member crew left a burned-over safety zone along a mountain ridge and began its descent into a chaparral-choked box canyon where the men died in a firestorm.

See Also: Complete coverage of the Yarnell Hill Fire here.

The request, which was not disclosed in the Serious Accident Investigation Report commissioned by the Arizona Forestry Division (released in late September), provides important new insight into why the Granite Mountain crew decided to abandon their safe position as a powerful thunderstorm rapidly approached the wildfire raging below. [Read more…]