PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — The idea to drape the bodies of 19 dead firefighters in American flags came from Yavapai County Sheriff Scott Mascher, shortly after the men were found dead.
“He was overwhelmed. He was down there at the time the evacuations were in progress, then when he met with the staff and learned of some firsthand details with folks on the scene that the firefighters passed away, he made the decision we need to bring them down the hill in honor,” agency spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn said.
Authorities reached Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and she had her staff rush the flags to the site, hours after the tragedy on June 30, D’Evelyn said.
A few photos were snapped, and the moment was memorialized. Everyone agreed the pictures would remain private. Then one appeared anonymously Thursday on Facebook: A stark image of the victims lying next to one another in two rows on the scorched earth, American flags draped over the remains. Several media outlets, including the Arizona Republic and USA Today, published the photo on Friday.
For more click here: https://bigstory.ap.org/article/wildfire-cut-hotshots-access-safety-zone
