Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/AllenGBreed, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Her husband, Andrew, 29, was a former rookie of the year on the team and the father of four children, all younger than the age of 6. Ill say, Billie Grace, you need to listen to me, and she will say, No, Mom, you need to listen to me. It is hard for Roxanne not to laugh. 'As shocked as I was that my husband went to work and never came home, I'm equally shocked in how the city has treated our family since then,' Mrs Ashcraft, whose youngest child is just 18 months old, told CBS News. largeas anything in the movie. Billie Grace grinned. Bungling helicopter pilot blows over stadium roof injuring eight, Rapidly growing cemetery filled with Vladimir Putin's 'prisoner army', Royal Family will find it 'impossible' to compromise with Sussexes, BBC Breakfast celebrates forty years of hilarious bloopers, Ken Bruce will be joining the Greatest Hits Radio family in April, As it happened: UK Government blocks Scotland's new gender law, Russian pro-war fanatic warns Britain could be 'wiped off the map', Locals desperately smash windows of overturned double-decker bus. "They were heroes to the people that they helped there. couples stifled conflicts burst forth with some trenchant writing "We could really use some rain over here," he replied. Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of fallen firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, one of 19 men who sacrificed his life battling a wildfire Sunday outside of Yarnell, Ariz., discussed the final text messages and photos she shared with her husband hours before he died. Across from the Granite Mountain crew's headquarters in downtown Prescott, a chain-link fence has become a makeshift shrine. Juliann Ashcraft, widow of Andrew Ashcraft, who was one of the 19 firefighters who died while battling the Arizona wildfire on Sunday, spoke to "Today" about the final text messages she exchanged with her husband. A couple of firefighters approached the truck, curious how a civilian vehicle had gotten past the roadblocks. For more, click here or follow on Facebook. 'I said to them, "My husband was a full-time employee, he went to work full-time for you,"' she said, 'and their response to me was, "Perhaps there was a communication issue in your marriage."'. received by the families of permanent or full-time employees. the firefighters. For the first time, the danger seemed too close. "I want to be a fireman," Zak said. Firefighters battling a blaze in Yarnell, Ariz., last year. At 4:47 p.m., Eric Marsh did radio to fire commanders, and his message was utterly terrifying. Victim of Serial Rapist Identifies Her Attacker to His Future Neighbors Ahead of His Prison Release. IE 11 is not supported. While her. This day, so far, had been different. It was about 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, 2013 when Juliann Ashcraft started getting alarming phone messages from friends. The highly-skilled team was overtaken by a fast-moving blaze stoked by hot winds on Sunday. were killed fighting a wildfire near Yarnell, Ariz. Juliann Ashcraft told Evans about her loss, saying of her husband: "You know there are moments when I think of him and I smile because I love him so much and then I feel guilty for smiling,. He'd been just 4 years old when he literally burst into her life. When Roxanne introduced herself to the firefighters at the station, she told them that her husband had been one of the 19 hotshots killed in the Yarnell fire. Dry grass near the communities of Yarnell and Glen Isla fed the fast-moving blaze. The burly engine man based out of Flagstaff, Ariz., clambered up a small rise of river rock to clip one of his department's T-shirts to the fence. He radioed down to his crewmates, telling them his trigger point had been reached, and that he was heading for safe ground. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "19 fatalities. He insisted on tucking the children in each night and leading them in their prayers. (Some dollars in damages.) Around 10 a.m. Saturday, the Arizona State Forestry Division called in a pair of air tankers, a helicopter, some fire engines and a couple of hand crews. Legal Statement. Less then two days after Andrew Ashcraft's life was taken, Juliann Ashcraft spoke about her husband and the other members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew. They are happy. the orders of certified Type 1 (a.k.a. Jeremy Hunt is mocked over toe-curling 'inflation explainer' video with Aldi and Lidl shoppers face highest inflation hikes: Cost of basic groceries rise by more than 20% at the Is inflation FINALLY on the way down? They were ok but no way out. They made their way there on back roads. Donuts foil is (Of course, he and Donut His guys. Owen, born in March, is a content baby. Following standard procedure, they also mapped out an escape route. They talked about a freak storm, and said the men appeared to have done everything by the book. Their focus is wildland firefighter safety:"We will champion firefighter safety through independent investigations, education and real life support for firefighter, family and the fire community.". "They lived together, they fought fires together, and they died together doing what they loved.". Money has nonetheless become a sharp wedge, driving divisions between the City of Prescott and its fire department, among residents, and between some of those residents and the families that persist even as the first anniversary of the tragedy, this coming Monday, draws near. Roxanne recognized the hotshot crews called into help, including Blue Ridge from Happy Jack. In fact, he was one of 19 wildland firefighters who died in the line of duty that day, with just one member of the crew surviving. Vote here and tell us why, Do not sell or share my personal information. The 29-year-old former "rookie of the year" on the elite "Hotshot" team, was a father of four, all of whom are younger than 6 years old. she told the Today show early last month as she struggled to hold back the tears. They fought fires together. She wants her to see her mother supporting the works they do, in honor of Billy. The City of Prescott now claims he was a seasonal worker, despite him . Roxanne tried to prepare herself for the smell. Willis and three other men sat vigil with the firefighters all night, until their bodies were removed the next morning and transported to a medical examiner's office. Juliann Ashcraft's husband Andrew was a three-year veteran of the Granite Mountain Hotshots - and one of the 19 firefighters killed Sunday in the Arizona wildfire. "I love what I do, and we're going to be OK.". The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Juliann Ashcraft lost her husband, Andrew . While her husband was on a break during the early stages of battling a massive fire on Sunday, Ashcraft said she texted pictures of their kids swimming. Within six years of its beginning as a fuels mitigation unit in 2002, the Granite Mountain group had joined the elite Hotshot community the first such crew attached to a municipal department. 2023 www.azcentral.com. passionate marriage with Amanda (Jennifer Connelly), a horse trainer, It was about 7 p.m. when a television announcer came on with the report: A Hotshot crew had been overrun near Yarnell. Another, Roxanne Warneke, who lives just outside Tucson, has chosen to stay away, secluding her grief to the unfinished mobile home she shares with the baby girl her husband, Billy, never had a chance to meet. I wanted to take her so she could have a positive outlook on fire instead of a negative one, Roxanne said. She added that she had been sending him pictures of their children swimming that day, and how his daughter had commented that she wished he was there to see the thunder storm with them. A week later, the fire these men died fighting burns on, although it is almost fully contained. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Yet as I They used to work with your Daddy Billy.. "And I knew I had to get out.". 'Quite literally, my bills are being paid by the good people of the world who are giving donations, because the city of Prescott isn't doing anything for us,' she told the TV station. Outside of the love he shared for his family members, hotshot firefighting was his life, his wife said. Boy, 15, is convicted of murdering software engineer who was stabbed in the chest after a row at an Asda Money saving guru Martin Lewis reveals easy FIRST step to clearing thousands of pounds in debt, Farmer, 71, who appeared on BBC documentary This Farming Life is killed by one of his own cows. She told her husband how much she wished he could be there, watching the drops fall with her and the kids. Reach Bland at karina.bland@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8614. Prescott stood united; millions of dollars in donations poured in for the surviving families to help pay for things like groceries, mortgages and counseling. These men lived together. It was everything to him. In 1990, she married Travis' father and adopted the precocious little boy who, even then, knew what he wanted to be one day. Market data provided by Factset. Much is made in Andrew Ashcraft was only in his third season with the Hotshots, but he'd been working toward the job for years. 'I want to be able to just be mourning my husband, be supporting my children, be figuring out what our new normal is.'. from the community, conceal and reflect other sorts of nostalgiaa Soon, Lawton's casual mood turned dark when a neighbor reported that town evacuations were underway. Ashcraft, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was honored to be a member of the Hotshot crew, and 'he just had a really sweet spirit about him,' Elise Smith, a Prescott, Arizona, resident, told The Deseret News of Salt Lake City. While her husband was on a break during the early stages. In the end, the house Billy had dreamed of, the one he promised Roxanne, was built by firefighters, friends and neighbors, and complete strangers who donated money, time, labor and supplies. They live in that same house, built by her community, an American flag still flying out front, a play fort in the backyard now. They said it responded to the fire unthinkingly and incompetently, failing to stop it when it was still small, and then scrambling to catch it just as a storm tore through the area on June 30, 2013, fanning the flames that eventually trapped the Hotshots. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Thanks to the photo, Juliann could at least picture where Andrew was. 'They died heroes,' she told azcentral.com as she wept. Holding back tears, Juliann Ashcraft described text messages and photos she and her husband exchanged just before he died. His sister contends he belongs to her alone. already cost, according to several people involved in these discussions, Juliann Ashcraft was swapping texts with her firefighter husband, who was off battling the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona. When Travis was in kindergarten, he drew a picture of a fire truck and titled it, "When I grow up. Harry wants to raise Billie Grace the way her father would have. the rugged, volatile, insightful, deeply capable superintendent of a It turns out that, just a few weeks after the tragedy, one widow, By nightfall, the fire was just 15 acres in size, though the town fire department warned residents: "Be on high alert if the wind changes direction.". complete the jobs that they have started. Andrew Ashcraft's widow wept in the audience as the Prescott, Ariz., retirement board decided her family deserved full-time survivor payments. In 2015, Roxanne had joinedJuliann Ashcraft, whose husband, Andrew, also was killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire, and Andrews mother, Deborah Pfingston, to formthe Wildland Firefighter Guardian Institute, a non-profit advocacy group. Juliann Ashcraft, 28, said she will receive workers' compensations and a one-time federal payment of $328,000 in the death of her 29-year-old husband Andrew, who was among the Granite Mountain . When last he looked, McDonough's lookout position had already burned over in the flames. "We're coming down to the fire.". Juliann met with families of two Beartown firefighters from Michigan who were killed and another half dozen who were injured in an accident on their way to the Box Canyon wildfire in Utah last summer. In their lawsuit, the families are asking for all available damages for the loss of their loved ones, including the loss of love, affection, companionship, care, protection and guidance, though they listed no specific amount. Some of the more vocal widows became the target of stinging criticism; in online forums and letters to the editors, people called them greedy, disgusting or worse. She wants Billie Grace to meet people who did the work her father did. Counting calories IS king when it comes to losing weight - NOT fasting, study finds. "I want to be able to just be mourning my husband, be supporting. Anyone can read what you share. large, that are inseparable from the real-life story that it is telling. They were heroes in our home, they were heroes in our community," she said. ", "How did you hear that?" Experts say streaming giant will drop star when his Rishi Sunak demands Labour's Keir Starmer backs anti-strike laws ahead of looming de-facto general strike in More misery for NHS patients as thousands of nurses stage two-day strike across England: Health chiefs warn Is it time for the Government to give the nurses a better pay deal? She would whisper stories to Billie Grace about her daddy long before she could possibly understand. firefighters courage and self-sacrifice. Is humanity doomed? The Hotshots, he said, were his heroes. Helicopters had been unable to reach the highly-trained men as they fought the flames in Yarnell and they could not be saved by their emergency shelters - tent-like structures meant to shield them from flames and heat. casually, just a few minutes click-around) at news about the Hotshots As a result of the dispute, there were two separate memorial services held for the fallen firefightersone organized by their union, one run by the city of Prescott. Officials have called the fire the worst wildland tragedy in 80 years. In memory of 19 fire fighters, it said. At one point, Roxanne noticed that the Sawmill Fire had doubled in size overnight. She was named Billie Grace, for her father. Market data provided by Factset. It was upgraded from a Type 2 fire to Type 1, the most complex. These men burned alive trying to save a community. hidden in plain sight in this report is that, for nearly three years, She is Roxanne Preston now, having married a man named Harry Preston last summer. suspect, was the furthest thing from the filmmakers intentions. Harry loaded 20 cases of oranges and 16 bags of apples, about 350 pounds in all, onto a cart and then into their truck. With that, their exchanges stopped. It was 20 percent contained and awind had kicked up. City officials declined multiple requests for an interview, but Monday they sent a statement. offers a vision of sentimental unity for the common good in a town where Juliann Ashcraft, 28, whose 29-year-old husband, Andrew, was among the Granite Mountain Hotshots members killed during the June 30 blaze, said she will receive workers' compensation and a. When Andrew was home, he was the center of the family. Each man's family prayed that their son-husband-brother had been the lucky one. That's why he did what he did, because he want to protect the community where he lived. Though next-door to national forestland that regularly sees fire activity, this particular area had not burned in some 40 years and was deep into a drought making it far more susceptible to fire. None of them answered all of her questions. At the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District station, Roxanne got out of the truck and introduced herself to the firefighters. Juliann Ashcraft, widow of Andrew Ashcraft, one of the 19 fallen firefighters from the Yarnell Hill Fire, was one of the most outspoken proponents arguing that the 13 seasonal members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew deserved full-time benefits. Just days after the men's deaths, Mrs Ashcraft revealed the last conversation she had with her husband - and her fears when he never responded to her text messages. She said she had been texting her husband throughout the day - with him telling her how much he loved and missed her, and how proud he was of their young children - until he abruptly stopped. Juliann Ashcraft, an LDS wife and mother, appeared on the "Today" show Tuesday morning to discuss her husband, who's been hailed as a hero, two days after learning of his death. is the sole survivor. "Haven't heard from him all day. nonfiction account in GQ by Sean Flynn (and co-produced by Cond Nast Thats for your daddy, she told her. attempting to get that honor on the cheap. Hotshots widows have faced over health insurance, taxes, labor law, and The Drivers could only need an MOT every two years under new government plans to save owners money - despite How much will YOUR broadband go up in price? As she kept watch on the Sawmill Fire,Roxanne sent a Facebook message to Deborah. ", At 7:28, Colleen typed: "Heard there is a crew trapped surrounded by fire.

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