The Wild Geese Community Extends Condolences to Prescott in Deaths of 19 'Smokeaters'

Firefighters Killed Battling Arizona Blaze

Courage and devotion to duty seems to be second-nature to many in this Arizona city. More than a century ago, beloved Prescott Mayor 'Bucky' O'Neill set out from the town when his country called, only to die fighting in Cuba with Teddy Roosevelt's 'Rough Riders.'

Buckey O'Neill: Sheriff, Mayor, Rough Rider, American Hero

For those wishing to donate to the survivors and families affected by this tragedy, The 100 Club is an organization providing immediate financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.

If you'd like to leave a note of support and condolence, you may do so by commenting below.

Views: 264

Tags: Americas, News, United States

Comment by Bit Devine on July 1, 2013 at 10:30am

My heart broke when the news first came out last night... It is our largest single incident loss of life in several decades... The fire community across Arizona is reeling...

Firefighters...especially hotshot wildlanders run into what most would run from... it is what we are trained to do...face the dragon...win...lose or draw....

Slan abhaile, my brothers and sister... safe home...you have well earned your rest....

Go raibh mil maith agat for posting this...

Comment by Jim Curley on July 1, 2013 at 11:04am
We hold them all in our prayers.

This is "Cold Missouri Waters" by James Keelaghan about the Mann Gulch fire in the 1940s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zYQmyGAXFg
Comment by Ryan O'Rourke on July 2, 2013 at 2:25am

Hi, Bit ... I noticed you said "we" when referring to firefighters.  Have you done some firefighting?

Comment by Bit Devine on July 2, 2013 at 3:16am

I am currently with the Tucson Fire department... I am their dragon at the gate...what civilians would call a front desk person... Physically unable to do any other work than ride a desk...so here I am...prior to coming on with the Fire department here, I was a patrol officer, also here in Tucson

I have a lot of friends who work the wildland fire crews...and a few who are hotshots...

We were on a highway parallel with Yarnell on Saturday night....I saw the flare-up and told FLANO...That isn't good...hope nobody was up there...

Along with the 19 killed, 250 structures were destroyed in Yarnell...and half of that small mountain town is now in ash...It is a town of 700 people... lovely old town...

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