The Granite Mountain Hotshots were a crew within the Prescott Fire Department whose mission was to fight wildfires and when not so, engaged in work to reduce growth of fire-prone vegetation. Originally founded in 2001 as a fuels mitigation crew, they were later formed into Crew 7, a Type II IA hand-crew in 2004, and eventually transitioned into a Type I Inter-agency hotshot crew in 2008.

On June 30, 2013, 19 of the 20 members of the group perished fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire:

• Ashcraft, Andrew – Age: 29
• Caldwell, Robert – Age: 23
• Carter, Travis – Age: 31
• Deford, Dustin – Age: 24
• MacKenzie, Christopher – Age: 30
• Marsh, Eric – Age: 43
• McKee, Grant – Age: 21
• Misner, Sean – Age: 26
• Norris, Scott – Age: 28
• Parker, Wade – Age: 22
• Percin, John – Age: 24
• Rose, Anthony – Age: 23
• Steed, Jesse – Age: 36
• Thurston, Joe – Age: 32
• Turbyfill, Travis – Age: 27
• Warneke, William – Age: 25
• Whitted, Clayton – Age: 28
• Woyjeck, Kevin – Age: 21
• Zuppiger, Garret – Age: 27

The City is continuing its strong commitment to actively manage fuel loads in the wildland-urban interface, reducing the potential and severity of wildfires. Risk reduction through recent adoption of the 2012 Wildland Urban Interface Code, continued mitigation efforts via vegetation thinning and clearing projects, and continuous community awareness and outreach, are the basis for our efforts throughout the year.

No decision has been made regarding reestablishment of a City hotshot crew, while all key relevant factors continue to be evaluated.

Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center

The GMIHC Learning and Tribute Center opened in 2019!

Their mission is to establish, operate and maintain a wildland fire learning center that honors the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew(GMIHC) by telling their story, housing artifacts/memorabilia and by educating visitors about wildland fire and firefighting.

Hours:

• Fridays, 2pm – 5pm
• Saturdays, 10am – 4pm
• Sundays, 11am – 4pm
• Hours subject to change. Go to GMIHC19.org

More information can be found at the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center website.

Hotshots T-shirts and Other Memorabilia

To learn more about purchasing Hotshots t-shirts and other memorabilia, here are some resources:

• – Purchase directly from Prescott Fire Administration, located at 1700 Iron Springs Road. 928-777-1700.
• – Online at Prescott Firefighters Charities
• – Purchase from the GMIHC Learning and Tribute Center located at the Prescott Gateway Mall.  Hours are limited.  For more information to go https://gmihc19.org/