MORE: 'Lone survivor': 'The roar of the fire was huffing behind me' But as the crew descended from a burned-black safety zone into the canyon, their view of the fire disappeared.īefore they could reach the ranch, flames overran them and killed all but one crew member. Brendan McDonough was in another location acting as a lookout and made it to safety. The theory among fire investigators is that the hotshots were on their way to the ranch when the flames surged. Yarnell Hill Fire officials had earlier designated the ranch as a “bomb-proof safety zone” because the structures had metal roofs and the property was clear of brush.Ī report on the fire later surmised that the hotshots decided to use the ranch as a jumping-off point to save structures in Yarnell. wildfire in 80 years. Their proximity to the place where the firefighters died would thrust the couple and their ranch into the international spotlight. The actual name is "Not Muchuva Ranch."Īfter the fire, the 60-acre ranch was the key access point for emergency workers and later for investigators conducting an in-depth analysis of the deadliest U.S. The Helms' ranch is near the southwest end of Yarnell in a subdivision called Glen Ilah.įire officials would later identify their ranch on maps as the "Boulder Springs Ranch," named after the road that dead-ends onto their land. They are reminded of the tragedy each time they look out over the boulder-strewn hills and see an American flag fluttering at half staff near where the firefighters died. Lee Helm has made a half-dozen trips to what is now called Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park. For visitors, it's a strenuous hike up a mountain ridge before descending into the box canyon, 3.5 miles later, where flames overran the firefighters.īut for the Helms, it's a third of a mile from their ranch house. ![]() The tragedy turned more surreal the following day, when 10 coroner's vans lined up outside the Helms' house as the firefighters were brought out. More: 5 new things about fire that killed Granite Mountain Hotshots firefightersĪ few hours after the flames burned over, they would be among the first to learn the stunning news that a hotshot team was nearby and had perished in the 2,000-degree heat after deploying their fire shelters. ![]() The couple hunkered down inside their house as the Yarnell Hill Fire raced over. But their home, with its metal roof and stucco walls, was unscathed. Helm, 73, and his wife, Diane, 69, own a ranch 600 yards from where the hotshots died. Visitors leave mementos on the wire box enclosures that surround the crosses: Flowers, cans of Copenhagen, fire department patches. The site where fast-moving flames trapped the Granite Mountain Hotshots five years ago is dry scrub, surrounded by stony hills on three sides.
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