19 elite firefighters known as "hotshots" were killed while battling a wildfire in Yarnell, Arizona, marking the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in at least 30 years. The firefighters were forced to deploy emergency fire shelters when flames overtook them near the town. The deceased firefighters were part of the Prescott Fire department.
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1. YARNELL, Arizona : Hot winds blew a US wildfire out of control, killing 19 elite
firefighters in the country's deadliest wildfire involving firefighters for at
least 30 years.
The specially trained "hotshot" firefighters were forced to deploy their fire
shelters, tent-like structures meant to shield them from flames and heat, when
they were caught near an Arizona town, state forestry spokesman Art Morrison
told The Associated Press.
Prescott Fire chief Dan Fraijo said the firefighters were part of the city's
fire department.