Yarnell Hill Fire was a wildfire near Yarnell , Arizona , ignited by lightning on June 28 , 2013 . On June 30 , it overran and killed 19 City of Prescott firefighters , members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots . It was one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires since the 1991 East Bay Hills fire , which killed 25 people , and the deadliest wildland fire for U.S. firefighters since the 1933 Griffith Park Fire , which killed 29 impromptu civilian firefighters . It was also the most fatal incident of any kind involving U.S. firefighters since the September 11 attacks , which killed 343 firefighters . It is the sixth-deadliest American firefighter disaster overall , the deadliest wildfire ever in Arizona , and at least until 2014 , was " the most publicized event in wildland firefighting history . " At 5:36 p.m. MST ( 23:36 UTC ) on June 28 , 2013 , lightning ignited a wildfire on Bureau of Land Management ( BLM ) lands near Yarnell , Arizona , a town of approximately 700 residents located about 80 miles northwest of Phoenix . On June 30 , strong winds reaching more than pushed the fire from to over . A long-term drought affecting the area contributed to the fire 's rapid spread and erratic behavior , as did temperatures of
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Yarnell Hill Fire