A moment of silence and prayer, please.
19 firefighters killed in blaze

-Blast

A sad and somber day.....

A fellow I know used to manage a tanker base for the aircraft used to fight forest fires. He told me that the fliers he met every day, doing this difficult and dangerous work, were more than qualified to go and get airline jobs. Why didn't they? His answer was telling: "They'd never be happy driving the bus."

RIP

I read about this over the weekend.. the story I read was 18 dead, and I think another 19 were missing as well.

Incredible heat they are having down there, I heard they are grounding small aircraft because the air is too thin for aircraft to take off on the size of the runway.

I feel for th families of these hero's. God speed to them all.

Support those families just as you would the family of a soldier killed in action.

Sending many prayers for all who are personally affected by this tragedy.

I agree Montenero !!!!

Amen.

19 of the fire shelters were deployed, some of the firefighters were later found in the shelters and some outside. Something must have happened unexpectedly fast, like the wind changing directions. I can't imagine what it would be like to huddle under one of those shelters - closest thing to an oven I suppose with only superheated air to breathe. My deepest condolences to the families.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/...se-to-survive/#

while vacationing last week in the area where the event occurred, i read john n mclean's book "The Esperanza Fire: Arson, Murder, and the Agony of Engine 57".

an excellently related true story of how five us forest service firefighters lost their lives in a wildfire.

it was arson set, the arsonist was caught within days, tried and convicted of murdering the five firefighters - a first in california. he's now on death row.

if you'd like insight on how these events can happen, read this book. highly recommend.

i am deeply saddened by the loss of life these 18 / 19 men, and perhaps women, gave to protect our lives and livelihood.

It takes a special person to face danger like that to keep the rest of us safe. RIP.