Revisiting The Fire That Killed 19 Hotshots

Published September 19, 2013 at 1:40 PM EDT

Unidentified members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew from Prescott, Ariz., pose together in this undated photo provided by the City of Prescott. Some of the men in this photograph were among the 19 firefighters killed while battling an out-of-control wildfire near Yarnell, Ariz., on Sunday, June 30, 2013, according to Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo. It was the nation's biggest loss of firefighters in a wildfire in 80 years. (City of Prescott, Ariz.)

The Yarnell Hill fire that swept through Arizona in late June and early July burned more than 8,000 acres, destroyed 129 buildings and killed 19 firefighters — members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew from nearby Prescott, Ariz.

An independent investigative team has been looking at whether or not human error contributed to the deaths of almost the entire team. Their findings are expected out in the next few weeks.

Here & Now speaks with Kyle Dickman, a former hotshot firefighter and an associate editor at Outside Magazine, about his reporting on the firefighter deaths and what has been learned from the tragedy.

Dickman’s latest piece will be the cover story in next month’s issue of the magazine, and is available online.

Outside Magazine: 19: The True Story of the Yarnell Fire
Related: Hotshots: What It’s Like To Be An Elite Firefighter

Guest

Kyle Dickman, former hotshot firefighter and associate editor at Outside magazine. He tweets @KyleDickman.