Crime & Safety

How to Help Families of Fallen Arizona Firefighters

Anyone who wants to help families of the 19 Arizona firefighters who died Sunday battling a blaze northwest of Phoenix can make donations online at websites set up by Prescott Firefighter's Charities and the Wildland Firefighters Foundation.

Two members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew, Chris MacKenzie and Billy Warneke, grew up in Hemet and graduated from Hemet High.

The firefighter deaths in Arizona are felt by local hot shot crews, others in the firefighting community, and family members of the USFS Engine 57 crew who died fighting the 2006 Esperanza Fire.

The website information was distributed Monday by the San Bernardino County Fire Department, which issued the following statement:

Our hearts have been saddened as we learn of the 19 brave firefighters who lost their lives on June 30th battling a wildland fire dubbed Yarnell Hill Fire in Central Arizona.

"The loss of a firefighter cannot be expressed through words," stated Fire Chief Mark Hartwig. "We will mourn and never forget those who bravely gave their lives in defense of their community. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our firefighting brothers and sisters in Arizona."

With such a tragedy, many wish to make a donation that directly reaches the families of these fallen heroes. The San Bernardino County Fire Department recommends doing so through the Prescott Firefighter's Charities website or the Wildland Firefighters Foundation. 

The Prescott Firefighter's Charities website is at http://www.prescottffcharities.org/how-you-can-help/.

The Wildland Firefighters Foundation is set up to benefit those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Donations can be made online at http://www.wffoundation.org/, called in to (208) 336-2996 or mailed to Wildland Firefighter Foundation, 2049 Airport Way, Boise, Idaho 83705.


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