I've told them every chance I've gotten since then, 'Your dad loves you, and he's with you,' and they just call him their angel and they said they'll see him in heaven. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of slain Arizona firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, talked about the final text messages she was sent by her husband earlier this week just before he died. Watch her comments below. Do you or a loved one work for a Hotshot crew? Billie Grace was 10 months old when they moved in, just the two of them, with the sorrow of their loss. My Daddy Billy? Billie Grace asked. Harry stayed close to her. He was one of 19 firefighters who died a year ago in the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona. While her husband was on a break during the early stages of battling a massive fire on Sunday, Ashcraft said she texted pictures of their kids swimming. Juliann Ashcraft lost her husband, Andrew . On Tuesday, Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of slain Ariz. firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, described the final text messages that she shared with her husband as he battled the Yarnell Hill Fire. So on a Wednesday,she and Harry went to Costcoto buy fresh fruit. Juliann Ashcraft decided to leave Prescott altogether to spare her four children the discomfort of whispers and glares. I wish for the world could know that they lost this army of honorable men, she said.On the day of the fire, the father of four texted how much he loved his family and shared a photo of the wildfire as the hotshots moved into harms way. The comments below have not been moderated. Death toll: The Yarnell wildfire is the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. for at least 30 years. His grandmother told the Long Beach Press Telegram that Kevin, originally from Seal Beach, California, had been a firefighter for around four years. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. At times, the pain is overwhelming for the women and they say their hotshot firefighters were larger than life now they will have a fitting tribute on the big screen. 'We're devastated. Of course, there was no reply," she said. Family photographs reveal a picture perfect family as Juliann and Andrew are seen grinning and kissing, as well as laughing along with their four young children. Enter your email to receive updates on our LDS Living content, 2022 LDS Living A Division of Deseret Book Company. They fought fires together. Ashcraft's plans may soon include a lawsuit against the city. Do not sell or share my personal information. The fire had crept close to an area Roxanne knew well. But being the wife of a firefighter is like becoming part of a family. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads. IE 11 is not supported. That is not common language, because usually he gets a thrill form the fire, a thrill from being there helping, and this was a different scenario.". For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. They remove brush, trees and anything that might burn in the direction of homes and cities. First published on August 5, 2013 / 7:54 PM. 'But he let us know that he loved us and missed us. Mr Ashcraft, like his colleagues, was protecting the people of Yarnell when he died, tragically leaving his young family without a husband, father or income. Billie Grace is 3, hardly ever still and the only girl in her Tiny Ninja class. When do the clocks change in 2023? 'That's what it takes. 1. Andrew Ashcraft texted this photo to his wife, Juliann, just before he perished in a blaze Sunday. Some mornings she will come into the kitchen and stretch dramatically. Thats for your daddy, she told her. The fire has forced the closure of parts of state Route 89. With the detour, it was more than two hours before they got there. The team, which was formed in 2002, is part of the Prescott Fire Department, the oldest in the state. Less then two days after Andrew Ashcraft's life was taken, Juliann Ashcraft spoke about her husband and the other members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew. Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of Andrew Ashcraft, speaks during an interview at her home in Queen Creek, Arizona. Holding back tears, Juliann Ashcraft described text messages and photos she and her husband exchanged just before he died. Other firefighters who have been identified include the Hotshots superintendent Eric Marsh, 22-year-old Wade Parker and father-of-four Andrew Ashcraft. It was 20 percent contained and awind had kicked up. A widow whose husband was killed courageously fighting a wildfire in Yarnell, Arizona five weeks ago is being denied the lifetime benefits she was counting on to raise the couple's four young children alone. Click here to share your story. Owen, born in March, is a content baby. Juliann Ashcraft's husband, Andrew, was one of 19 firefighters killed battling a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona on June 30. Roxanne remembered how Billy and the other firefighterstired of MREs and protein bars. I saw that it kept growing, Roxanne said. The names of all 19 members of the elite firefighting crew who perished in the blaze were released late on Monday, after their bodies were retrieved from the mountain where they died. Firefighter Sean Misner never met his baby boy, Sean, Jr., nor did firefighter Anthony Rose, who left behind a daughter, Willow. 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It was the deadliest wildfire ever in Arizona;19 men on the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew out of Prescott were killed. Join Us at 4:30 (EST) on December 4, 2020 Online for the . The shocking treatment comes five weeks afterthe mother-of-four learned by watching the news that her firefighter husband had perished in the intense blaze that burned scores of homes to the ground. Mike Krumboltz. Juliann Ashcraft, widow of Andrew Ashcraft, one of the 19 fallen firefighters from the Yarnell Hill Fire, was one of the most outspoken proponents arguing that the 13 seasonal members of the. ", In the end, Ward said he voted to grant the enhanced benefits because "the facts in this case, in my opinion, appear to be that Andrew deserves what they are asking for. She had read reports online that firefighters had been killed, but didn't know for sure her husband was a victim until authorities showed up at her front door. Billie Grace is headstrong and independent. I looked at my four children and thought, Oh man, I was able to grow up with a daddy and they wont. My heart breaks for them every day, said his widow.Marcina Thurston had been with her husband, Joe, since their sophomore year in high school. Juliann Ashcraft's husband, Andrew, was one of 19 firefighters killed battling a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona on June 30. None of them answered all of her questions. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "Now I have four kids and myself, and I don't know what I'm going to do.". Asked what probably went through his mind when he pulled out his fire shelter, Juliann Ashcraft said: "I think probably in that last moment, we have four babies. What's in U.S. foods that Europe deems unfit for human consumption? 'He was the most amazing man,' she said. These men worked together," she said. In 2015, Roxanne had joinedJuliann Ashcraft, whose husband, Andrew, also was killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire, and Andrews mother, Deborah Pfingston, to formthe Wildland Firefighter Guardian Institute, a non-profit advocacy group. She told the Today show how, apart from his family, fighting fires with the Granite Mountain Hotshots was his life. The unit was established in 2002, and the city also has 75 suppression team members. Ashcraft had only been with the Hotshots for a few years, as we can surmise from Juliann Ashcraft's comments about her husband's decorated career as an elite firefighter. Fire shelters fail to protect elite fire crew from Ariz. blazeShock over loss of 19 Ariz. firefighters in wildfireLightning sparked deadly Arizona fireA look at deadly U.S. fire crew incidents, CBS News' Carter Evans, who spoke with Juliann Ashcraft, reported on "CBS This Morning": "When I spoke with Juliannshe had many questions. Because shewants her daughter to respect fire, to be mindful of it, but not to be afraid. Ashcraft, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was honored to be a member of the Hotshot crew, and 'he just had a really sweet spirit about him,' Elise Smith, a Prescott, Arizona, resident, told The Deseret News of Salt Lake City. From nightmares to candy cravings, the seemingly innocuous habits in Man is banned from touching every parking meter in Liverpool for two years after being convicted of theft. That's what I want people to know. That doesnt change, no matter what happens. 'As shocked as I was that my husband went to work and never came home, I'm equally shocked in how the city has treated our family since then,' Mrs Ashcraft, whose youngest child is just 18 months old, told CBS News. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 'And we'll miss them. But she's been denied the lifetime benefits she was counting on to raise her four children, the youngest of whom is 18 months old. ', Engulfed: 19 firefighters died as the wildfire spread near the Arizona town of Yarnell, Evacuation: Hundreds of residents were forced to flee their homes, Death toll: The Yarnell wildfire is the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. for at least 30 years, Heartbroken: Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said the firefighters were 'the people you'll ever meet'. While her husband was on a break during the early stages. "They never think it will happen to them.. 'Quite literally, my bills are being paid by the good people of the world who are giving donations, because the city of Prescott isn't doing anything for us,' she told the TV station. Southwest incident team leader Clay Templin said the team and its commanders were following safety protocols, but it appears the fire's erratic nature simply overwhelmed them. "As shocked as I was that my husband went to work and never came home, I'm equally shocked in how the city has treated our family since then," she said. "It was everything to him. You gotta be very physically fit, and you gotta like it, gotta like the hard work.'. Eighteen of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives were part of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite firefighting team from Prescott, Arizona. Andrew Ashcraft, 29, was one of the 19 . Juliann Ashcraft, whose husband died fighting the blaze, has been told that she will not receive the benefits that she was initially promised. Watch: Hotshots training unveiled in 60 Minutes report. were killed fighting a wildfire near Yarnell, Ariz. Were there REALLY not enough tests when Matt Hancock 'had to reject Chris Whitty's advice on care home swabs'? List of 19 promises made by Andrew Sterling Ashcraft to his wife . 'It may be days or longer before an investigation reveals how this tragedy occurred, but the essence we already know in our hearts: fighting fires is dangerous work. Outside of the love he shared for his family members, hotshot firefighting was his life, his wife said. He responded that he wished for that too. Nineteen men lost their lives while saving the town of Yarnell, located 90 minutes from Phoenix. The NEW woke words of the day: 'Rage farming', 'pinkwashing', 'trauma dumping' and 'Latine' are among 313 'I don't know if I can trust them': Mel B reveals she 'wouldn't call the police' over domestic violence - Is YOUR wood burner at risk? 'I want to be able to just be mourning my husband, be supporting my children, be figuring out what our new normal is.'. Just days after the men's deaths, Mrs Ashcraft revealed the last conversation she had with her husband - and her fears when he never responded to her text messages. He sent a photo of where he was sitting and what the fire looked like for them, at their lunch spot, Ashcraft said on TODAY Tuesday. 'I said to them, "My husband was a full-time employee, he went to work full-time for you,"' she said, 'and their response to me was, "Perhaps there was a communication issue in your marriage."'. Ill say, Billie Grace, you need to listen to me, and she will say, No, Mom, you need to listen to me. It is hard for Roxanne not to laugh. She worried how she would react. You gotta be very physically fit, and you gotta like it, gotta like the hard work.'. Whats the point of living a life if you arent happy?. 'We grieve for the family. Princess Diana's nieces Lady Eliza and Amelia share Do not sell or share my personal information. Read:Couple's Wedding Forced to Relocate After Chapel Is Destroyed in Deadly Wildfire. Loss: Kevin Woyjeck, left, and Wade Parker, right, were among the firefighters who lost their lives on Sunday as they tried to battle a massive wildfire in Yarnell Hill, Arizona. Published: 14:36, 6 August 2013 | Updated: 22:49, 6 August 2013. While Juliann is devastated by what happened to her husband she knows that he died doing what he loved saving lives. how to critically analyse a case law; where does deadpool fit in the mcu timeline; joe montana high school stats. Asked what she tells her kids, Juliann Ashcraft said: "I just tell them how amazing their dad is. We grieve for the city,' he said at a news conference Sunday evening. 'But he let us know that he loved us and missed us. Not this time. Watch Live: Closing arguments begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Intel review says "very unlikely" foreign adversary behind "Havana Syndrome", Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. But she's worried what will happen when the dust settles from all of this. Because even though Billie Grace never got to meet her father, Roxanne wants her to remember him. They have to run 1.5 miles in 10 minutes and 35 seconds, complete 40 sit-ups in 60 seconds, 25 push-ups in 60 seconds, and seven pull-ups. 29, was one of the love he shared for his family members, Hotshot firefighting was his,! Have been identified include the Hotshots superintendent Eric Marsh, 22-year-old Wade Parker and father-of-four Andrew Ashcraft reply ''! 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