Hot winds blew a U.S. wildfire out of control, killing 19 elite firefighters in the country's deadliest wildfire involving firefighters for at least 30 years. The specially trained hotshot firefighters were forced to deploy their fire shelters - tent-like structures meant to shield them from flames and heat - when they were caught near an Arizona town, state forestry spokesman Art Morrison said.
A Facebook page has been created in memory of the fallen firefighters and included a photo showing 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew
A home burns amidst the Yarnell Hill fire in Yarnell, Ariz
Hot shot crews are elite firefighters who often hike long distances into the wilderness with chain saws and backpacks filled with heavy gear to build lines of protection between people and fires.
A wildfire destroys homes in the Glenn Ilah area near Yarnell, Ariz.
Flames top a ridge as the Yarnell Hill fire moves towards Peeples Valley, Arizona
The National Fire Protection Association previously listed the deadliest wildland fire involving firefighters as the 1994 Storm King Fire in Colorado. It killed 14 firefighters who were overtaken by a sudden explosion of flames. Above, A fire engine moves along Hays Ranch Road as the Yarnell Hill fire advances on Peeples Valley, Ariz.
The fire started on Friday and spread to 2,000 acres (809 hectares) on Sunday amid high temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions. Officials ordered the evacuations of more than 50 homes in several communities.
Houses catch fire in the Glenn Ilah area near Yarnell, Ariz.
A plane makes a retardant drop over the Yarnell Hill fire to help protect the Double Bar A Ranch near Peeples Valley, Ariz.
Firefighters from the Granite Mountain Hotshots of Prescott, Ariz. cut a fire line along a mountain ridge in the Gila National Forest outside Mogollon, N.M.
Smoke rises from raging wildfires in the hills near Yarnell, Arizona
Smoke rises from raging wildfires in the hills near Yarnell, Arizona
Firefighters monitor the blaze at a restaurant as the Yarnell Hill fire burns near Yarnell, Arizona
Smoke and fire can be seen across the hills outside Yarnell, Arizona
