( CNN ) -- The bodies of 19 Arizona firefighters killed in a wildfire went home Sunday in a somber procession of more than 100 miles across the state . White hearses flying American flags carried the Prescott Fire Department 's Granite Mountain Hotshots from the State Capitol in Phoenix to their hometown of Prescott , passing through the community where they died battling the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30 . People from across the state and around the country gathered along the route of the public procession , withstanding triple-digit temperatures to pay respects to the elite wildfire-fighting crew . 19 profiles in heroism . `` These men are heroes . They 've earned the respect of everyone in this line , '' an onlooker told CNN affiliate KTVK as he awaited the procession in Phoenix . Just one member of the elite 20-man wildfire-fighting crew survived the Yarnell Hill Fire , which started June 28 and spread to more than 6,000 acres in two days . The incident , part of a fire that destroyed more than 100 homes , was the deadliest day for firefighters since the 9/11 attacks . Lookout warned team before fire killed 19 . As of Sunday , at least 90 % of the fire had been contained , officials said . Residents who were forced to evacuate Yarnell and Peeples Valley will be permitted to return to their homes at 9 a.m. Monday morning , a spokesman for the Yavapai County Emergency Management office said . Hotshot crews are called to get close to the blaze , dig barriers and clear out the brush and other material that otherwise would fuel it . Erratic winds were blamed on the sudden shift in the fire 's direction that trapped the group . The deaths are under investigation , but officials have said it appears the 19 were forced to lie down under blankets meant to protect against flames and heat as a last resort against an inferno that overwhelmed them . The procession of hearses and police motorcycles passed through Yarnell on its way to Prescott , where they will be honored in a memorial service Tuesday that Vice President Joe Biden is expected to attend . The firefighters left behind wives and children . One firefighter left behind his pregnant fiance . `` I feel for the people they left behind , '' an observer of the procession in Phoenix told KTVK . `` There 's a story behind each family . The more I hear , the more sad it makes me . '' Opinion : When heroes face down fire -- and fate .
NEW : Bodies of Granite Mountain Hotshots return home Sunday after 100-mile procession . People nationwide travel to Arizona for procession honoring elite wildfire-fighting crew . `` These men are heroes . They 've earned the respect of everyone in this line , '' onlooker says .