Yarnell Hill Fire (2013)
Yavapai County (Yarnell), Arizona · Jun 28, 2013 – Jul 10, 2013
Deadliest U.S. wildland-firefighter tragedy in 80 yearsAcres burned
8,400
Lives lost
19
Structures destroyed
127
Year
2013
Duration
~12 days
What happened
The Yarnell Hill Fire killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots when a sudden wind shift trapped the crew — the deadliest U.S. wildland-firefighter loss since 1933 and the worst single loss of firefighters since 9/11.
Cause
Lightning
Location
Yavapai County (Yarnell), Arizona
Key facts
- ▪Killed 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots
- ▪Deadliest U.S. wildland-firefighter event since 1933
- ▪A wind shift trapped the crew in a box canyon
- ▪Subject of the film “Only the Brave”
Replay the Yarnell Hill Fire in the spread simulator
This centers the wildfire-spread simulator on the Yarnell Hill Fire’s documented ignition point and replays its conditions on 2013-06-28 — the day’s strongest wind, temperature, and humidity from the open-meteo historical archive (which set the fire-day fuel moisture) — run through the same Rothermel surface-fire model used across FireRisk. Press ▶ Simulate to watch how fire tends to move under those conditions.
⚠️ Educational reconstruction — not the real fire perimeter
This is a simplified model of how fire spreads under the 2013 conditions, not the Yarnell Hill Fire’s actual burned area, official progression, or a prediction of any current fire. It cannot account for real fuels, suppression, spotting, or how conditions changed hour to hour. For real-time fire information always follow Watch Duty, official agencies, and local authorities — and call 911 in an emergency.
Loading the 2013 fire-day conditions…
Reminder: an educational reconstruction of fire spread under the 2013 conditions — not the Yarnell Hill Fire’s actual perimeter, an official record, or a forecast. Modeled spread, direction, and timing are illustrative only. Never rely on it for any safety decision.
Timeline
Jun 28
Lightning ignites the fire on Yarnell Hill.
Jun 30, afternoon
A thunderstorm outflow reverses the wind; the fire overruns the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
Jun 30
19 of 20 crew members killed; one lookout survives.
Aftermath & what changed
The tragedy drove sweeping reviews of wildland-firefighter safety, deployment-zone protocols, and real-time crew tracking, and remains a defining case study in fire-behavior safety training.
Could your home survive a fire like the Yarnell Hill Fire?
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Related major fires
Yarnell Hill Fire FAQ
When was the Yarnell Hill Fire and where did it burn?
The Yarnell Hill Fire started Jun 28, 2013 in Yavapai County (Yarnell), Arizona, and was contained Jul 10, 2013.
How many acres did the Yarnell Hill Fire burn?
The Yarnell Hill Fire burned approximately 8,400 acres.
How many people died in the Yarnell Hill Fire?
Approximately 19 people died in the Yarnell Hill Fire.
What caused the Yarnell Hill Fire?
Lightning.
Figures are approximate and compiled from official agency reporting; totals for recent fires may still be revised. FireRisk.ai is an independent wildfire-risk service.