Prescott, which is more than 30 miles northeast of Yarnell, is one of the only cities in the United States that has a hot shot fire crew, Fraijo said. 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. 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. She would whisper stories to Billie Grace about her daddy long before she could possibly understand. Juliann Ashcraft always knew her husband had a dangerous job fighting wildfires, but he was one of the elite -- a Granite Mountain Hotshot. 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. Her husband, Andrew, 29, was a former rookie of the year on the team and the father of four children, all younger than the age of 6. Yet here she was. Joe Woyjeck, Loved: The bodies of Wade Parker, 22, left, and 21-year-old Woyjeck, right, were retrieved on Monday, Heroes: A group photograph shows members of the Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots, Andrew Ashcraft - 29Robert Caldwell - 23Travis Carter - 31Dustin Deford - 24Christopher MacKenzie - 30Eric Marsh - 43Grant McKee - 21Sean Misner - 26Scott Norris - 28Wade Parker - 22John Percin - 24Anthony Rose - 23Jesse Steed - 36Joe Thurston - 32Travis Turbyfill - 27William Warneke - 25Clayton Whitted - 28Kevin Woyjeck - 21Garret Zuppiger - 27, 'Their situational awareness and their training was at such a high level that it's unimaginable that this has even happened.'. She says her husband and his fellow firefighters "loved what they did" and shares how she and . Overwhelmed with gratitude for the strangers who sent letters and cards and offered support, Ashcraft converted a 40-foot Greyhound bus into a home on wheels and hit the road with her . After a two-day hearing, the retirement board of the city of Prescott voted to award the enhanced benefits to the family of Andrew Ashcraft, who perished last June along with 12 other seasonal or part-time members and six full-time members of the elite Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew in the largest loss of firefighters' lives since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. ', Tragic: Chris Mackenzie (right) also died in the inferno on June 30. ', Worry: Alora Slemboski consoles Nancy Myers, who fears she lost her home, outside the Red Cross Shelter, Remembrance: Volunteer citizen patrol officer Seymour Petrovsky stands guard at the gate, Overwhelmed: Local resident Bob Hoskovec says a prayer as he kneels outside the gate on Monday, Mourning: Toby Schultz pauses after laying flowers at the gate of the Granite Mountain Hot Shot Crew fire station in Prescott, Arizona on Monday morning. The city of Prescott told her that full family survivor benefits will only be awarded to the families of full-time employees. 'He had some athletic ability in him and he was a go-getter, too. Her husband, Andrew, 29, was a former rookie of the year on the team and the father of four children, all younger than the age of 6. Watch Carter Evans' full report at the top of this article. The comments below have not been moderated. Juliann Ashcraft sobbed as she recounted the bravery of her beloved husband Andrew and his close unit of highly-trained 'hotshot' colleagues, who were overcome by the ferocious flames in Yarnell . In an. The smell of smoke could still make Roxanne panic. "They died heroes," she said, crying and wiping tears away from her eyes. Watch:Elite Firefighters Carry 2 Fawns From Danger Amid Massive Forest Fire, Are Massage Chairs Safe? Her husband Andrew was 29 years old. These men lived together. A crew of 600 firefighters and related personnel had been assigned to it. Her husband, Andrew, 29, was a former "rookie of the year" on the team and the father of four children, all younger than the age of 6. Andrew Ashcraft, 29, was one of the 19 . US firms waiting in the wings read to pump 'billions Parents' fury as schools STILL won't tell them if they are closed tomorrow as teacher strikes continue. Because even though Billie Grace never got to meet her father, Roxanne wants her to remember him. That they were loved. What she couldn't explain to her children -- ages 6, 4, 2, and 1 -- was how their father died with 18 of his fellow Hotshots in fire shelters, a last resort. Another board member, Wade Ward of the Prescott Fire Department, said the question was difficult because "everything that we've gone through and continue to go through is unprecedented. Juliann Ashcraft, an LDS wife and mother, appeared on the "Today" show and CBS news Tuesday morning to discuss her husband, who has been hailed as a hero. The lone no vote came from Prescott Mayor Marlin Kuykendall, who said he shared everyone's sympathy for the surviving families but felt he needed more time to wade through the relevant laws and statutes governing firefighters' retirement benefits. 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. "I don't know that that's sunk in for them, but I've not stopped thinking about that. Helicopters had been unable to reach the highly-trained men as they fought the flames in Yarnell and they could not be saved by their emergency shelters - tent-like structures meant to shield them from flames and heat. If State Highway 83 had been open, it would have taken an hour and a half or so. 'Problem solving, teamwork, ability to make decisions in a stressful environment and being nice are the attributes of our crewmembers,' its website read. Do you or a loved one work for a Hotshot crew? What's in U.S. foods that Europe deems unfit for human consumption? Published: 23:26 EST, 1 July 2013 | Updated: 14:42 EST, 2 July 2013. Michael MacKenzie, who was once the captain of Moreno Valley, California, said his son Chris died in the flames. Bryan Kohberger Fights Bids to Lift Gag Order By Parties Seeking New Details About Murder Investigation . Juliann Ashcraft is as sure of that as she is sure an outpouring of support from across the country saved her life when her husband died two years ago. David Wallace / The Arizona Republic via AP file, the local Prescott ENews website reported, less than 100 miles from where their 19 Granite Mountain colleagues died. Juliann Ashcraft's husband, Andrew, was one of the 19 firefighters killed in Arizona on Sunday. She said she had been texting her husband throughout the day - with him telling her how much he loved and missed her, and how proud he was of their young children - until he abruptly stopped. The 4-1 vote came at the same time that an army of Hotshots from around the West was returning to the area to battle a fire near Slide Rock State Park less than 100 miles from where their 19 Granite Mountain colleagues died. Stuart Johnson, Deseret News. We love them.'. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. . Roxanne had married Billy in 2008, but they had known each other since high school. "I don't think my daughter knows her dad is not going to walk her down the aisle, and my sons know he won't be their coach and those sorts of things," she continued. She was named Billie Grace, for her father. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 'The best person I know. Click here to share your story. The team, which was formed in 2002, is part of the Prescott Fire Department, the oldest in the state. 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. They got on the road, leaving baby Owen at home with a sitter. Thats for your daddy, she told her. There was silence for a moment. Were there REALLY not enough tests when Matt Hancock 'had to reject Chris Whitty's advice on care home swabs'? She took in a breath and slowly let it out. 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.". 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. "They all laid out there that night.". It was someone from Blue Ridge who had picked up the crew's lookout, the only survivor. "That's why I never worried for their safety because they were trained," she said. 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. "They died heroes," she said, wiping away tears. Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of Andrew Ashcraft, speaks during an interview at her home in Queen Creek, Arizona. The deaths mean that Prescott has lost a staggering 20 per cent of its department. But she's worried what will happen when the dust settles from all of this. I was able to beat back the anxiety, she said. That they are missed and that they're still going to live on in our lives and in the lives of our kids. "And we'll. I tell them we'll be OK, and that I love them.". Another, Roxanne Warneke, who lives just outside Tucson, has. Andrew Ashcraft's widow wept in the audience as the Prescott, Ariz., retirement board decided her family deserved full-time survivor payments. IE 11 is not supported. 'Now I have four kids and myself, and I don't know what I'm going to do. 'We're devastated. Juliann Ashcraft's husband, Andrew, was one of 19 firefighters killed battling a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona on June 30. Juliann is related to Terry C Ashcraft and Olive Ellen Ashcraft as well as 3 additional people. 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. Among the victims was Billy Warneke, a Marine Corps veteran who served a tour in Iraq and who was expecting his first child with his wife Roxanne this December, family told The Press Enterprise. 'But he let us know that he loved us and missed us. I just kept texting him saying 'You need to tell me you need to tell me you are OK.' I couldnt believe it, cause I kept thinking, 'You wouldn't leave me,' she said. He's selfless, and I think he thought of our kids and he thought of wishing he was home with them at that moment. Owen, born in March, is a content baby. So on a Wednesday,she and Harry went to Costcoto buy fresh fruit. Last year, Deborah, who lives in Prescott, delivered fresh fruit and beef jerky to crews working on the Tenderfoot Fire in Yarnell. When they were found on Sunday, all 19 shelters were deployed but some of the men's bodies were inside their individual shelters, while others were outside - indicating just how suddenly they were overcome by the flames. In fact, he was one of 19 wildland firefighters who died in the line of duty that day, with just one member of the crew surviving. juliann ashcraft new husband. Read:Couple's Wedding Forced to Relocate After Chapel Is Destroyed in Deadly Wildfire. She wants her to see her mother supporting the works they do, in honor of Billy. "Now I have four kids and myself, and I don't know what I'm going to do.". Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Death toll: The Yarnell wildfire is the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. for at least 30 years. They died together - doing what they loved.'. 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. As a result of the dispute, there were two separate memorial. EXCLUSIVE: Lanzarote sticks to its guns and insists it WILL limit tourists and move away from relying on Jeremy Clarkson is axed as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The best result we found for your search is Juliann Ashcraft age 60s in Newport, WA. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ms. Ashcraft said Thursday that not . 'I asked, "Will you be sleeping out there tonight?"' He added that the firefighters had to deploy the emergency shelters when 'something drastic' occurred. He sent back a picture of the fire, which he described as wild, that would ultimately claim his life. Members trained by running, hiking, yoga, doing core exercises and weight training. Nineteen firefighters were killed, Proud: Kevin Woyjeck, right, is pictured with his father, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Yet there she stood, her loss all too real. 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. / CBS News. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. First published on July 3, 2013 / 5:33 AM. Not this time. Our kids will remember them as heroes as well.. 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, Fallen firefighter's mom talks son's death, finals moments, New FDA-approved drug can slow vision loss, Lawsuits claim dental device wrecked teeth, Murdaugh trial heads into closing arguments, Fire shelters fail to protect elite fire crew from Ariz. blaze, Shock over loss of 19 Ariz. firefighters in wildfire, A look at deadly U.S. fire crew incidents, How you can help victims of the Yarnell Hill fire. It cost about $320. The importance of preparing emotionally for retirement, Supreme Court hears arguments in student loan case. The crew killed in the blaze had worked on other wildfires in recent weeks in New Mexico and Arizona, Fraijo said. Read more here. Were there REALLY not enough tests when Matt Hancock 'had to reject Chris Whitty's advice on care home Rishi Sunak is urgently reviewing his private exchanges with Matt Hancock after bombshell leak of ex-Health 'Drinks cold in fridge at DH!' The fire was sparked by a lightning strike on Friday and spread to at least 8,400 acres amid triple-digit temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions. Inside Edition Investigates as Over 2,000 ER Visits in Last Decade Involved Them, Ohio Train Derailment: EPA Cracks Down on Hazardous Waste Removal as Federal Agents Go Door to Door, Bryan Kohberger Fights Bids to Lift Gag Order By Parties Seeking New Details About Murder Investigation, Honduran Man Dies From Injuries Sustained After Falling From the US-Mexico Border Barrier, Shovel, Bloody Rope Found in Car That Belonged to Ex of Teacher Found Slain in Shallow Grave: Prosecutor. The road, leaving baby Owen at home with a sitter Billie Grace never got to meet her.. 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