The 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots, who died fighting the Yarnell Hill fire nearly a decade ago, will be remembered at various public and private ceremonies this month.
From the unveiling of a new HotShot mural on the corner of Montezuma and Goodwin Streets in downtown Prescott, to the opening of the Granite Mountain Interagency HotShot Crew Learning and Tribute Center five years ago, to Yavapai County. Up to the mass memorial event on Court Square. , the public will have the opportunity to pay tribute to the elite firefighters who died in the Yarnell Hill fire on June 30, 2013.
In the past few months, as the 10th anniversary of the tragedy approaches, a multi-jurisdictional group called the Granite Mountain Memorial Team has been working to plan a memorial event on Friday, June 30, 2023, on the Court Square. I made it.
The team announced its final plans for the event last week, noting that a public memorial service will be held at the Yavapai County Courthouse in downtown Prescott on Friday, June 30 at 3:00 p.m.
Invited speakers include: Prescott Mayor Phil Goode. Prescott City Fire Chief Holger Dure. State Forester, Forest and Fire Service, Thomas Torres. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. and Ryder Ashcraft, the son of the fallen Granite Mountain hotshot, Andrew Ashcraft.
Additionally, Brendan McDonough, a surviving member of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew (GMIHC), will read the Hotshot Prayer.
The hour-and-a-half event also includes a reading of the Granite Mountain Hotshot Day Proclamation, honor guards, a pipe and drum presentation, and a high-flying missing persons formation from Luke Air Force Base.
A news release from the Granite Mountain Hotshot Memorial Team states, “The local guard of honor will ring 19 times in honor of the men, and the courthouse will also ring 19 times to conclude the event.” .
The event will include the following road closures in downtown Prescott: On Friday, June 30, the City of Prescott will close Goodwin Street from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and parts of Cortez from noon to 9 p.m. will be closed until Closure allows events to take place. Accommodates equipment staging, Granite Mountain family parking, and other events held during the day.
“The City of Prescott is urging visitors to be aware of road closures and parking conditions, and to plan well in advance if attending the public celebration,” the news release said.
Institutions participating in the Granite Mountain Hotshot Memorial Team include local, state, and federal collaborators. Arizona Forest and Fire Management Service. Prescott Fire Department; Prescott Police Department; Central Arizona Fire and Medical Department. Prescott National Forest. Indian Affairs Bureau. Land Management Bureau. Various fire stations in the City of Scottsdale and the Phoenix area. The Phoenix Fire Department will provide backfill assistance and will respond to emergency and medical calls so that Prescott Fire Department and Central Arizona Fire and Medical Department personnel can attend the ceremony.
More information about the June 30 event can be found on the City of Prescott website at https://www.experienceprescott.com/things-to-do/events/gmihcmemorial/.
Many other local events are also planned to commemorate Hot Shots, including:
• June 28, 11:30 a.m., Prescott Chamber of Commerce, 117 W. Goodwin St., Prescott – Hot Shot Tribute Mural Reveal of a mural-in-progress on the corner of Montezuma and Goodwin Streets on the exterior of the Chamber of Commerce. commercial building.
• June 29, 11:30 am, Prescott, Granite Mountain Hotshot Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center, Prescott Gateway Mall, 3250 Gateway Boulevard. The event commemorates the Granite Mountain Hotshot tragedy and the center’s fifth anniversary in 2018.
Other events in preparation include a possible unveiling of the statue planned for Courthouse Square on the Cortez side. The Granite Mountain Hotshot Memorial Partnership announced last week that a fundraiser was still underway to cover the additional costs of building the monument due to rising transportation and material costs. Organizers said they still hope to have the statue installed by June 30, the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.
Prescott community outreach manager John Haney said a number of private events are also being planned for the family of the deceased Hotshot, but those events will not be open to the public.
Meanwhile, restoration work is also taking place at Granite Mountain Hotshot Cemetery at Pioneer Home Cemetery. A news release last week reported that Prescott Landscape Professional and Horizon, a division of ProWater Irrigation, are donating labor and supplies for on-site renovations, including cleaning, regrading and installing artificial turf. was given.
“Work is expected to be completed by June 30 in preparation for a private family gathering at the cemetery,” the news release reads.
Additionally, residents interested in learning more about the community in the days after the 2013 tragedy can visit the Tribute Fence Preservation Project and an online virtual museum showcasing the many items and memorials placed on the fence surrounding the Hotshot fire station. can visit. Sixth Avenue. The museum is available online at https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/281.
Follow Cindy Barks on Twitter @Cindy_Barks. Please call 928-445-3333 (extension). 2034, or cbarks@prescottaz.com.
