PHOENIX, July 16 (UPI) -- A summary of the Arizona wildfire in which 19 firefighters died the weekend of June 30 suggests additional resources were requested but unavailable.
An initial synopsis of the Yarnell Hill fire, released Monday by the State Forestry Division, shows commanders overseeing the fire called for resources such as more air support, as the fire threatened to grow out of control in the mountains near Prescott, Ariz.
At least 10 calls for additional air support could not be filled, and two tankers were diverted to deal with another fire outside Kingman, Ariz., The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic reported.
The Yarnell Hill fire's erratic behavior and intensity prompted the calls for assistance, but authorities said it remained unclear why the Granite Mountain Hotshots, 19 of whom died, remained in place after the fire began advancing toward them.
The records offer no indication of whether requested air support would have made a difference had it arrived, the newspaper noted.
