Prescottonian: We could all use a little more firefighter in us

I had the pleasure – and honor – of spending my 4th of July in Prescott. I hung out with family, watched fireworks and visited the memorial of the 19 Granite Mountain Hot Shots who lost their lives a week ago fighting the Yarnell Fire. And I saw a community mourn.

Prescott, the population of which is comparable to Maricopa, is a tight-knit community that undoubtedly has never felt closer. Everywhere you turn, you see reminders of the tragedy that rocked the city and surrounding area. There are tears, hugs, makeshift memorials, fundraisers, Red Cross and television media vehicles. Sunday, there was the heartbreaking sight of the 19 hearses making their way back home.

You get the sense every one of the 40,000 residents is directly impacted by the tragic death of the heroic first-responders based in Prescott. Case in point is my own family: My goddaughter’s friend lost her uncle. My cousin Laura and her husband knew several of the fallen heroes.

Laura emailed family and friends Tuesday and Saturday to thank them for their support and provide an update on their situation. In her first email, she wrote “If anyone asks, you may share with them, though I'd prefer you not forward our emails at this point.”

I was so moved by her story and message, however, I thought more could benefit from reading them. Maybe I’m biased, but I read not just about Prescott and its people, but about humanity. This could be you and your family, it could be Maricopa or any other town; and in many ways it is.

After some coaxing, undoubtedly aided by the ability to take a few deep breaths in the days since her request for privacy, Laura acquiesced to my request to share her first-person account publicly. Below is the bulk of those emails:

Tuesday, July 2
We are doing okay though we find our grief comes in waves. Town is very quiet. It's a windy day and we can see the smoke from Yarnell and smell it. Those clouds are very different from monsoon clouds. We've had some rain here which we are extremely thankful for, though they have also brought a couple of lightning strikes. Luckily the rain that followed helped put out some small fires.

The Prescott community has already suffered incredible losses this year, and now we’ve lost the firefighters, some of whom were also students in our local schools. (My husband) knew five of them, I knew one. As it is teaching in a small community, we also know their families, some of whom are personal friends. We also have another hotshot crew in Prescott, but right now they are on stand down meaning they will not be heading to any fires temporarily. We know we have other students on that hotshot crew as well.

(My husband) and his colleagues are just a few of the people who are being asked to answer questions from news organizations around the country. For the most part, the reporters have been extremely respectful, though there are a few who ask questions that should get them fired. All in all, it's very difficult to find our words. It certainly isn't anything for which you can ever prepare.

We have family visiting which has brightened our days beyond what I can express. Special thanks to them and to all of you for thinking of us and our Prescott family.