18 firefighters dead- Yarnell (Phoenix)

socalmedic said:
this link may clear it up some, with the help of the other sources as well.

8 injuries where reported earlier in the day, those were unfounded.

19 firefighters were missing

1 missing firefighter was located alive but injured

19 bodies where located

1 body was identified as not a firefighter

http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=120733&TM=81194.44
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I haven't heard anything about a non firefighter being killed. All the news reports and statements given by fire department PIOs are saying 19 hotshot firefighters. The link you posted also says 19 hotshots and nothing about a civilian.
 
9D4 said:
Sorry for your loss.
Are you positive on the spelling? I was good friends with a girl in hs named Wojcik (pronounced the same) and I remember her saying something about her uncle being a firefighter up north a while back. Can't be that common of a name.
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Woyjeck is the correct spelling.

RIP Kevin
 
Wow....this is tragic.
 
DesertEMT66 said:
I haven't heard anything about a non firefighter being killed. All the news reports and statements given by fire department PIOs are saying 19 hotshot firefighters. The link you posted also says 19 hotshots and nothing about a civilian.
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that is definitely what the story said. looks like they have all been edited now to show 19 firemen.
 
Thanks for the clarification, anon. No less sad, however.
An update for the fire, it grew from 2,000 acres to over 8,000 overnight and is still 0% contained.
 
So were these guys structural firefighters but also Hot Shots and considered wildland too?

This is terrible. My thoughts to everyone effected by this.
 
Terrible

They were some young guys, too. The northern part of this state is beautiful but I can't imagine how fast those fires must move.

I know there are other 100 Clubs out there but the one for AZ is located at 100club.org. From their site:

“The 100 Club of Arizona has set up a memorial in Memory of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. We will be assisting survivors, covering costs for flights of family members of the victims, helping the injured and purchasing replacement equipment for the Prescott Fire Department. We will continue to assess the needs of the community and be there to assist them.”
 

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9D4 said:
Sorry for your loss.
Are you positive on the spelling? I was good friends with a girl in hs named Wojcik (pronounced the same) and I remember her saying something about her uncle being a firefighter up north a while back. Can't be that common of a name.
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"Woycheck was also a member of Los Angeles County Fire Department Explorer Post 9 and worked for Care Ambulance Service in Southern California, the Los Angeles County department reported."

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_23577098/kevin-woyjeck-seal-beach-firefighter-explorer-among-19
 
Dan216 said:
So were these guys structural firefighters but also Hot Shots and considered wildland too?

This is terrible. My thoughts to everyone effected by this.
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They are not structure, they are a Municipal-Interagency Hotshot crew. they are run and employed by the Prescott FD but respond only to wildfires. they also most likely do fuels mitigation and the occasional SAR, but I don't have any info on that.
 
Word now is they deployed their shake-n-bakes, with what success we won't know for a while. Such blowups cause unimaginable local winds with superheated gasses. The shelters delam at about 500deg F, not designed to withstand direct flame impingement any event. You can deploy it perfectly and have it ripped off you, have flame or superheated gasses destroy it, use up or lose the breathable air trapped in with you and you lose consciousness, or something falls on you. You can find it impossible to get it done right and in time due to smoke, wind, blowing soot and embers.
 
Our local US forest service folks are out at a local concert/firework show collecting money for the families of the firefighters. And there was also something floating around Facebook about US Airways giving the families free flights and $15,000 each to help a little bit (I saw it on Facebook so that it for what it's worth).
 
DesertEMT66 said:
Our local US forest service folks are out at a local concert/firework show collecting money for the families of the firefighters. And there was also something floating around Facebook about US Airways giving the families free flights and $15,000 each to help a little bit (I saw it on Facebook so that it for what it's worth).
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I haven't seen that. I know that the 100 club donated that much to each family the day after and then the Suns had a benefit event and all proceeds went to the 100 club and they were also providing free flights. That was held at US airways center, so maybe they're doing the flights and the Suns provided an additional 15k each? I'm not sure, but everywhere I've gone lately has had benefits and they've all been pretty successful from what I've heard.
 
Prayera and thoughts go out to all of the family members. Rough days ahead.
 
Also:

ate3ytev.jpg


A picture I found of one of the 19 firefighters passing thru my response area. Palm Springs FD and CalFire saluting as they passed under the bridge.
 
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It's been insane the amount of support that's been going on in the area around here. It's nice to see that it's not just here either.
I've seen probably 50 benefit car washes, my local fd held a BBQ and raised a few hundred just by that, a local retiree is doing a 150 mile bicycle ride to the Granite Mountain station to try and raise support, not to mention all the people that lined up and down Grand ave when the procession went by. There's even a brewing company one of the hotshots used to work at that is bottling a special memorial beer to try and raise money.
This was a group that followed the procession route to show support, some 800 bikes showed up.
oWmSa2b.jpg
 
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