Interview with Brendan McDonough, Granite Mountain Hotshots survivor

The Prescott Daily Courier spent about an hour talking with Brendan McDonough, the only member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots to survive the Yarnell Hill Fire; 19 of them died on June 30 in Arizona when they were overrun by the fire.

In these two videos, each about eight minutes long, he seems to be dealing pretty well with the life-changing tragedy he is still experiencing. In them, and in the article at the Daily Courier, he provides a few more details than were previously known about the events that occurred before the entrapment. He talked about how he got to his lookout location (he was closer to the fire than the crew), his interaction with the Blue Ridge Hotshots, the warning they received about the weather changing, and moving the crew’s vehicles to a safe spot.

In the second video he said:

There was no bad decision made. No one’s at fault for what happened. And I’ll never forget that day… I was there. I know what happened. And there’s a lot of other people that were there that knew what happened — and it was just an accident. These things happen. It’s horrible that it happened, but it happened. This isn’t the first time a storm has come over and killed multiple firefighters.

The first video is about the fire. The other is more about his personal story.

In a related story, a video at Arizona Central describes the tense relationship between the families of the Granite Mountain 19 and the City of Prescott.

 

 

Thanks go out to Dick

Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. Please read the commenting rules before you post a comment.

Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

6 thoughts on “Interview with Brendan McDonough, Granite Mountain Hotshots survivor”

  1. Page 22 SAIR: 1402 weather update, wind gusts up to 35-45mph out of Northeast. 1526 weather update, Outflow winds from the North-Northeast with speeds between 40-50.
    The video posted above states “spinning weather” at approximately 2:45 or 2:50 while “weather going to be talked about,” “Captain going to listen,” “expect 180 degree wind shift, expect gusts 50-60mph.
    Joy Collura reports kestrel readings on Wildfire Today comment section of 40 plus mph as early as 1238pm

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  2. The interview above does not match the serious accident investigative report. McDonough states @ 20 seconds of the first interview that he was spinning weather at 2:45 or 2:50 when weather update occurred with winds expected to shift 180 degrees with 50-60mph gusts , his trigger point was met and he had to find a different position. On page 23 of SAIR, 1540 call to BR supt to have face to face meeting with DIVS A, and documents GM lookout taking weather at 1550, leaving post, and catching ride with BR supt as he was going to meet DIVS A. Which time is correct?

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  3. What a remarkably mature young man. His point of view is a tribute, not only to himself and his family, but to his crew. As a Fire Captain, retired for several years now, I find Brandon to be an inspiration. He makes such an important point regarding community. Firefighters are committed to the communities they serve and live in, both on and off duty. We need to do everything in our power to be committed to them and to their needs as well. Thank you Brandon, for sharing your story. May you find peace and the safe career of service and leadership you so richly deserve.

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  4. “Greater love has no man than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

    As the survivor, Brenden’s testimony that there was no fault amongst his brothers for this tragedy is surely a comfort to their families. As he said, he was there, he knows what happened.

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  5. The last comment is the most poignant of all: “Hopefully the city is there for them” (the families).

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