Firefighters are some of the bravest members of our society, and the Arizona Hotshots are doing a small part to pay tribute to past heroes who selflessly laid down their lives. On Sunday, March 3rd, the Arizona Hotshots will officially retire the number 19 in honor of the 19 firefighters who died while trying to put out the Yarnell Hill Fire.
The Arizona Hotshots will retire the number 19 on Sunday to honor the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who lost their lives on June 30, 2013. No @aafhotshots player has ever worn the number 19.
— Daniel Kurish (@DKurish) February 26, 2019
Arizona Hotshots to Retire Number 19, Honor Granite Mountain Hotshots
On June 30, 2019, a massive fire roared throughout the Arizona landscape. Stretching out over 8,400 acres, the Yarnell Hill Fire was one of the most deadly and dangerous wildfires in recent memory. To combat the flame, 400 firefighters combined forces to eliminate the danger. Tragically, 19 of those heroes never made it out of the fire. The Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of 20 firefighters, lost all but one of their members while trying to combat the massive inferno.
While those heroic firefighters may be gone, their sacrifice will never be forgotten. The State of Arizona has a Memorial State Park devoted to said firefighters, and the memories of their sacrifice clearly live on in Arizona’s AAF team. The Hotshots name comes directly from that firefighting unit, and the team clearly intends to continue honoring the lost souls from that tragic day.
While the Hotshots won’t officially retire the number until Sunday, the organization knew the number was off-limits. Nobody has ever worn the number 19, nor has it ever been issued.
The team has more in store than just a number retirement on Sunday. Arizona reportedly plans to have a pregame and postgame ceremony, honoring not only the Granite Mountain Hotshots but also active and deceased firefighters. Full information for the ceremony can be via the teams’ official press release.
The 2-1 Arizona Hotshots host the 0-3 Atlanta Legends Sunday night at 6:00 local time (8:00 Eastern). NFL Network will broadcast the game.
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Embed from Getty Images
