Brendan McDonough, 21, is the lone survivor of the 20-man team that went into the Yarnell Hill Fire as it spread throughout central Arizona. ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report. Here are glimpses of the men they were and what they leave behind. "I can't fail them. I was the only person they're going to see," McDonough said. Chore lists, fitness goals and duty rosters with the 20 Hotshots' names still were tacked to walls. The wildfire killed 18 of 20 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot Crew. Today he is. He is haunted by the last words of his boss. Granite Mountain]is a harrowing story of heroism in the face of natural disaster. Every one of them strong, smart, always ready to head into the danger others fled. They were nature conservationists, athletes and above all, firefighters. He lives in Prescott, Arizona. Four years ago, the Granite Mountain Hotshots died battling a horrifying wildfire in Yarnell. He could see them clearly enough to identify individuals as he left and headed toward a nearby highway used as a command center for the fire response. A harrowing tale of resilience in the face of tragedy, My Lost Brothers is a powerful reminder of the heroism of the people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us. "...May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields...". Building a sense of brotherhood within communities gives McDonough great joy – because it helps this fighter honor the legacy of his 19 lost, but not forgotten, brothers. But he knows his friends' pain has been released. talking about this. "I can see them in my head, playing with their kids," he said, pausing as his heart filled with emotion over the losses. The two state investigations into the deaths of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots released to the public in 2013 did not include the complete autopsy and toxicology reports of the men who were killed on June 30, 2013 in the Yarnell Hill Fire. A firefighter walked up to Diane Helm, who was in her yard surveying damage after the fire. So they kind of relayed to me, 'Hey, Donut, we got eyes on it,'" McDonough remembers his captain telling him. He was the only one to survive. The newspaper reports that the lone survivor from the Granite Mountain Hotshots, Brendan McDonough who was serving as a lookout away from the crew during the tragedy, overheard a … McDonough was the only survivor of Sunday's disaster. McDonough was the only survivor of Sunday's disaster. Knowing that these families would see me, but not anyone else off that crew. And I came to a point where I just didn't have any more tears.". The Granite Mountain Hotshots formed in 2002 as a group within the Prescott Volunteer Fire Department. CLICK HERE to return to The Investigative Unit homepage. A harrowing tale of resilience in the face of tragedy. "I know they were asked to come to Yarnell if it was possible and Eric said, 'No, we are going to stay here in the black.' McDonough’s story of finding his way out of the dead end of drugs, finding his purpose among the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and the minute-by-minute account of the fateful day he lost the very brothers who had saved him. ", McDonough radioed back a brief reply to call if they needed anything and that he'd be with the buggies. Today he is a public speaker and works with numerous nonprofits for veterans, police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services. Days later, he had a tattoo artist ink the stanzas of an old Gaelic prayer inside his right bicep as a constant reminder of his hope that the fallen "Nineteen," as they're now known in Prescott, have found peace. Why aren't they sitting here with me?'" McDonough is an uplifting speaker, whose courage to find support at his weakest has inspired others to find their own tribes of support. "I asked a million times, 'Why am I sitting here and why isn't someone else? McDonough picked a spot almost a mile down the hill, where he could see both the fire and the other Hotshots. Five years ago, McDonough fought the Yarnell Hill Fire with his Granite Mountain hot shots. Aug. 7, 2013 — -- Five weeks after the worst day of his young life, Brendan McDonough still hears the cell phones that were ringing in the back of his fire truck, the agonizing peal of loved ones desperate to reach his 19 missing buddies in the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew fighting a raging wildfire on a scorched Arizona mountainside. On the morning of June 30, all 20 members of Prescott, Arizona's Granite Mountain Hotshots headed into the mountains to protect the small town of Yarnell from an advancing blaze. McDonough says the team could now see what was happening -- contradicting some accounts that they were unaware the fire was heading toward them. Photos of the 19 fallen Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters and Brendan McDonough, the lone survivor, in Prescott, Ariz., in (Julie Jacobson . The blond, rail-thin veteran of three fire seasons led ABC News through the crew's station, a place once a center of activity in fire season but now sorrowfully quiet and filled with U.S. flags signed by fire squads, commemorative wood carvings, postcards and letters of gratitude from many whose homes were saved by the Hotshots, as well as children's playful drawings saying "thank you." On Thursday, the true story of those men who fought on … \"We need to get back in here. It's not their fault. Soon after, he began the long journey of therapy. Everything was black, and he notice a chainsaw blade and a pick ax head with the handle burned away. On June 30, firefighters with the Prescott Fire Department's interagency called the Granite Mountain Hotshots were overrun and killed by the fire. McDonough is an uplifting speaker, whose courage to find support at his weakest has inspired others to find their own tribes of support. McDonough said. McDonough’s story of finding his way out of the dead end of drugs, finding his purpose among the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and the minute-by-minute account of the fateful day he lost the very brothers who had saved him. "They said, 'If you need to get out of there, go ahead and get out of there... we want you to be safe too,' you know? Around 4:00 in the afternoon, however, everything changed. "...May the wind be always at your back...". We've got to get them out of here.”The Helms never saw the Granite Mountain Hotshots on the day they died and never knew the crew was working nearby. \"Ma'am,\" he said. They trained under the supervision of Eric Marsh (depicted by Josh Brolin in … All wildfires can become dangerous. You just overcome.". "Whoever didn't bring their phone, I could hear phones ringing, knowing that it was their wives, their family," McDonough recounted in an exclusive interview with ABC News to air on "Good Morning America" today. "Why wasn't I there with them?" Entering their sixth season the 2013 Granite Mountain Inter-agency Hotshots’ became instructors at the Arizona Incident and Management Academy. "It's not something you wanna hear," McDonough said. You don't quit. "...Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.". Outside, a chain link fence has become a makeshift memorial adorned with welcome but painful reminders for the young man. The board is considering a request from Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died last year, for full survivor and retirement benefits even though her … All 19 of his brother Hotshots had just been killed by the ripping Yarnell Hill blaze in the largest loss of life among firefighters since the 9/11 attacks. ", Tarr radioed in his awful discovery, "I have 19 confirmed fatalities. That was the last time McDonough talked to them. They were nature conservationists, athletes and above all, firefighters. Inside the Granite Mountain Hotshots' station house in Prescott, in his first visit only weeks after the catastrophic loss, McDonough felt at ease -- enough to reveal his deep pain over not being with his friends, who were all like family to him, when they died in their boots. "Coming home, that was the worst feeling ever. On June 30, firefighters with the Prescott Fire Department's interagency Granite Mountain Hotshots were overrun and killed by the fire. Every one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, except for McDonough, was burned alive sometime after 4:30 p.m. on June 30, when the Yarnell Hill … PHOTOS: Brendan 'Donut' McDonough Watched the Roaring Fire Turn on His Friends. "No, I never question the decisions they've made," he said, seated in the ready room beneath crossed axes affixed to one wall. The book is part of it, he told The Arizona Republicon Friday, saying he hopes people who struggle with addiction, grief and PTSD realize there's hope for a better life. Sun-bleached T-shirts from fire units across the nation, helmets, wilting flowers, rain-rippled handwritten notes, photos, and 19 sets of everything from shovels to crosses, bandanas and flags drape the fencing for two blocks. Lone survivor Brendan McDonough and Only the Brave moviemakers honor the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed in Arizona in 2013 We've got 19 dead firefighters up on the hill. Initial reports indicated that one of the firefighters was not a member of the hotshot crew, but Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo later confirmed that all 19 were in league with the Granite Mountain Hotshots. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The movie is a stirring dramatization, directed by Joseph Kosinski, based on a nonfiction account in GQ by Sean Flynn (and co-produced by Condé Nast Entertainment), of the real-life activities of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, heroic fighters of wildfires in Arizona. OUR VISION is an exemplary, one-of-a kind wildland fire learning center that honors the legacy of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew by educating, inspiring, and motivating visitors to adopt behaviors that prevent wildland fires, resulting in fewer fire-related fatalities. McDonough said he asked himself. Only the Brave is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski, and written by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer, based on the GQ article "No Exit" by Sean Flynn. And then came very bad news that smoke-choked afternoon. Just -- a typical day, going direct on a fire," he told ABC News. Almost two hours after it was reported at 4:47 p.m. that the Hotshots had deployed protective personal shelters, an Arizona state paramedic hiked up to the site of torched chaparral and confirmed the worst. "I sunk. The lone survivor from the 20-man crew was 21-year-old Brendan McDonough. With Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly. McDonough wonders why everything turned deadly that day too -- but he does not puzzle over Marsh's judgment or that of any other Hotshot. The 19th dead firefighter was from another group. That would be the assignment that would separate him from the others and save his life. He was at what wildland firefighters call their trigger point -- time to make a move. If you are interested in booking him for a speaking event please visit the link below. Instead of moving north, it started moving south as the flame front leapt from 25 to 50 feet high. The Granite Mountain Hotshots were the first ever municipal firemen to become a hotshot crew, after years of training by their leader Eric Marsh. He went from drugs and jail, to joining The Granite Mountain Hotshots, a new beginning that saved him for a time. As Tarr got closer to the site he reported, "I could hear voices coming from the area of the shelters," but after yelling into the smoke soon came upon charred black human remains. "This is where, you know, the best memories of my life will be.". Wildfire survivor won't second-guess 19 who died. However, not all of the bodies were found inside the fire s… I'm kind of numb at that point. New Bill Could Boost Benefits for Some Arizona Hotshot Families. Survivor: McDonough walks back to his seat after speaking at a memorial service for the fallen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots on July, a week after the tragedy wiped out his team The Granite Mountain Inter-agency Hotshots had been protecting the city with over $3.1 billion in assessed value, over 18,000 homes and 24,000 residents. The Granite Mountain Hotshots were a 20-man wildland firefighting crew based out of Prescott, Arizona, 30 miles from Yarnell. I said, 'Okay.'". Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Arizona Gov. But his fallen brothers were the reason he was alive that day at all. ... Christopher MacKenzie and the crew’s sole survivor, Brendan McDonough. Every one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, except for McDonough, was burned alive sometime after 4:30 p.m. on June 30, when the Yarnell Hill Fire suddenly whipped 180 degrees around and cut off their escape route from a scrub brush meadow to a nearby ranch. "None of us ever did it for money. By John Dougherty. McDonough ejected the bullet, pulled out the magazine and tossed it and the gun in the backseat. Four years ago, the Granite Mountain Hotshots died battling a horrifying wildfire in Yarnell. About the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center. The Granite Mountain Hotshots was the only hotshot crew in the country that was part of a structural fire department, in this case, the Prescott Fire Department. The 19th dead firefighter was from another group. "Everything seemed normal, not threatening. No one. We did it because we could support our family and do what we loved.". Were the Granite Mountain Hotshots really made up of former municipal firefighters who trained to earn elite status? A harrowing and redemptive tale of resilience in the face of tragedy, My Lost Brothers is also a powerful reminder of the heroism of the people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us every day. And when Donut thinks of their fallen, he gazes down at the inked words on his arm, which end with hope. Arizona Hotshots firefighters 'died from burns and inhalation problems' This article is more than 7 years old. Entering their sixth season the 2013 Granite Mountain Inter-agency Hotshots’ became instructors at the Arizona Incident and Management Academy. "Jesse Steed, my captain, said, 'All right, I'll see you soon.' "It's tough," McDonough said, as he sat near a rack of sharpened chains for their saws in the ready room left just as it was the morning of the fire, when the 20 Hotshots had their last briefing. On Thursday, the true story of those men who fought on … Lone survivor Brendan McDonough and Only the Brave moviemakers honor the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed in Arizona in 2013 Asked if he did all he could have, he insisted, "There's nothing I could've done besides have been up on the hill with them and someone else been in my position, to have been with them and died in my boots with them. Key evidence that could explain why the Granite Mountain Hotshots moved from a safe location into a treacherous box canyon where 19 men died on … Sole survivor of Granite Mountain Hotshots speaks at memorial ... especially when no one ever will know what was going on with the Granite Mountain Hotshots during the final minutes before they died. Based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of elite firefighters who risk everything to protect a town from a historic wildfire. Sunk into my seat, I sunk into myself," he said in the ABC News interview, finally breaking his silence over how the terrible incident unfolded, in which only he survived. Brendan McDonough is the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. The two state investigations into the deaths of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots released to the public in 2013 did not include the complete autopsy and toxicology reports of the men who were killed on June 30, 2013 in the Yarnell Hill Fire. The firefighters had apparently deployed fire sheltersduring the ambush, but the heat of the wildfire soared over 2,000 °F (1,090 °C). Why did the Granite Mountain Hotshots leave the safety of a previously burned "black" area? He has attended every funeral and visited each of the Nineteen's families. My Lost Brothers is a gripping memoir that traces McDonough’s story of finding his way out of the dead end of drugs, finding his purpose among the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and the minute-by-minute account of the fateful day he lost the very brothers who had saved him. Nineteen of the 20 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew trained to fight wilderness fires, died on June 30, 2013, as they battled a fierce fire outside the old gold-mining village of Yarnell, Arizona. Wasn't a bad decision.". Directed by Joseph Kosinski. "From where they were, they could see it picking up. The men gave their lives to protect Yarnell. Additional portions will be broadcast tonight on "World News With Diane Sawyer" and "Nightline". But by then the 21-year-old elite wildland firefighter -- whom his fellow Hotshots affectionately called "Donut" in a play on his last name -- knew the horrible truth that their own families did not yet know, as he sat in the seat absorbing the magnitude of what was happening. But images of his daughter crept into his head. A rescue pilot described it as a "panic call" and it prompted Air Attack, the state command overseeing the fire, to bark, "Whoever is yelling on the radio, get off the air.". Jan Brewer and other state officials quickly repudiated Payne, who isn't involved in the probe, for offering his opinions before all the facts are in. Brendan is part of The Greater Talent Network Speakers Bureau. The only firefighter of a 20-person Granite Mountain Hotshots who survived the Yarnell Hill Fire nearly three years ago says it’s been “a tough life to live.” McDonough found keys to the gear room, where metal shelves remained stacked with battered black helmets, piles of unused roughout gloves, yellow protective suits, shiny new chainsaws and pristine pick axes awaiting 19 young heroes who will never need them again. Brendan McDonough survived one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, an inferno near Yarnell, Ariz., that killed 19 of his fellow Granite Mountain Hotshots on June 30, 2013. This October, it’s not about what’s standing in front of you. By the time McDonough and the other Hotshots arrived in Yarnell on June 30, airtankers had already been dropping chemical retardant to slow the spread of the fire -- to no avail. To learn more about organizations helping the families of the 19 fallen firefighters, visit Prescott Firefighters Charities and The Wildland Firefighter Foundation. Brendan McDonough lost 19 friends in the Yarnell Hill fire and asks why he was spared. But at first, this one on a boulder-strewn hillside at 5,000 feet outside the small town of Yarnell, Ariz. seemed nothing out of the ordinary to the team of dogged firefighters dispatched in their white fire buggies that fateful day from nearby Prescott. He also appeared at a charity golf outing at Gainey Ranch country club in Scottsdale on Friday that raised more than $100,000 for the Hotshots' families and Yarnell residents who lost their homes. Brendan McDonough, 21, is the lone survivor of the 20-man team that went into the Yarnell Hill Fire as it spread throughout central Arizona. #OnlyTheBrave, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots only in theaters. The wildfire killed 18 of 20 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot Crew. The structural firefighting mentality “is dangerously seeping into the wildland realm and needs to be stopped,” Schoeffler warned. Once the smoke began to clear, Arizona DPS Paramedic-Officer Eric Tarr was lowered by helicopter to the area to triage any survivors and found what he later called a "moonscape appearance." The Granite Mountain Inter-agency Hotshots had been protecting the city with over $3.1 billion in assessed value, over 18,000 homes and 24,000 residents. And for some reason they left." "That's when the superintendent and our captain asked me to be the lookout," he explained. The winds that had been driving the fire away from the Hotshots began to turn 180 degrees, propelled by what some fire officials call a "perfect storm" of gusts up to 50 miles per hour. "It forced me to face a lot of the things that I was keeping deep down ... some of the stuff that I tried to … Yet it also offers a timely reminder that stories are decisions, that … I'd cried a lot. Covered in soot over his bright yellow protective clothing and heavy boots as darkness fell on June 30, waves of guilt for being the only Hotshot spared death was a gut punch made all the more painful by the chirping phones behind him in the buggy. At 4:47, it was reported over the radio that McDonough's crewmates had been forced to deploy their individual fire shelters -- a last ditch step. McDonough survived simply because he'd been chosen that day for an important job -- he was the crew's lookout a half mile away watching "fire behavior" and monitoring weather changes -- and he was able to escape the cascade of flames shooting as high as 50 feet. Moments later he … Where COVID-19 spreads most easily, according to experts, Congress passes 2nd COVID-19 relief bill, money before new year, Kushner pardon revives 'loathsome' tale of tax evasion, Congressional leaders await Trump's next move days ahead of a government shutdown, Man spent 36 years in prison for stealing $50 from a bakery, but now he's going free, BRIAN ROSS, JAMES GORDON MEEK and CINDY GALLI. In this exclusive documentary by Dan Winters and Kyle Dickman, friends, family, and the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Hotshots speak … "I walked into the shelter deployment site and determined that the voices I had heard were coming from still functioning radios. The crew had 11 kids among them, including McDonough's own two-year-old daughter, and three not yet born who lost dads they'll never meet. Through hope, determination, sacrifice and the drive to protect families and communities, the Granite Mountain Hotshots become one of the most elite firefighting crews in the country. And he is determined not to let down the families of the Nineteen, either. In the five weeks since, Brendan McDonough has been grieving in private and putting on a brave face in public, reading the Hotshots Prayer at a large memorial service attended by families of the fallen, friends and dignitaries including Vice President Biden. PHOENIX — Brendan McDonough survived one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, an inferno near Yarnell, Ariz., that killed 19 of his fellow Granite Mountain Hotshots on June 30, 2013. Nineteen firefighters from the Granite Mountain Hotshots lost their lives in the 2013 wildfire in Yarnell, Ariz. Brendan McDonough is the crew’s sole survivor. "I never questioned them before, why should I question them now? Granite Mountain Hotshots team leader Eric Marsh radioed through to let his commanders know the group had a predetermined safety zone. Yes. Nineteen of the 20 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew trained to fight wilderness fires, died on June 30, 2013, as they battled a fierce fire outside the old gold-mining village of Yarnell, Arizona. Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo later confirmed that all 19 were from the Granite Mountain Hotshots. "I mean, just -- a normal workday, I guess," McDonough said he had assumed that morning. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. A male using the callsign Granite Mountain 7 came up on the radio, who was almost unintelligible and "sounded excited and out of breath," according to statements by state rescue workers. McDonough said he joined the Hotshots after some trouble with the law and credits the experience with helping him overcome his troubled teenage years. is the lone survivor of the Yarnell Hill fire tragedy of 2013. Building a sense of brotherhood within communities gives McDonough great joy – because it helps this fighter honor the legacy of his 19 lost, but not forgotten, brothers. The town has honored the Granite Mountain Hotshots with a unique tribute – a rugged hiking trail that climbs more than 1,000 feet up … The art of storytelling is treacherous, and the new film Only the Brave, released last Friday, is among the more noteworthy recent displays of the arts peculiarities and pitfalls. While most people run from danger, they run toward it — watching over lives, homes and everything people hold dear, forging a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire in Yarnell, Ariz. 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