(CBS News) PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Five weeks ago, 19 men were killed fighting a wildfire near Yarnell, Ariz. 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. She never took her eyes off his casket until it was lowered into the ground. In 2015, Roxanne Preston, whose hotshot husband Billy Warneke was killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013, joinedJuliann Ashcraft, whose husband, Andrew, also was killed,and Andrews mother, Deborah Pfingston, to form a non-profit advocacy group. He was the only one of the 13 Hotshots denied full benefits who worked a 40 hour week through out the year. Ms. Ashcraft said Thursday that not . Ashcraft did not think it would be this much of an issue. August 5, 2013 / 7:54 PM Join Us at 4:30 (EST) on December 4, 2020 Online for the . 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 don't know that that's sunk in for them, but I've not stopped thinking about that. "They loved what they did. ', Heartbroken: Juliann Ashcraft wept as she paid tribute to her fallen husband Andrew on the Today show, Final moments: Mrs Ashcraft shared the final image Andrew Ashcraft texted her before the 19 firefighters were killed by the flames. Because of the dangers of the job, he would always tell us that he loved us. A couple of firefighters approached the truck, curious how a civilian vehicle had gotten past the roadblocks. The unfamiliar truck pulled up to the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District station, where crews were stopping to pick up supplies on their way to the Sawmill Fire. 'And we'll miss them. Roxanne Warneke, riding shotgun, rolled down her window. "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. What's in U.S. foods that Europe deems unfit for human consumption? That's what I want people to know. 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!' Andrew Ashcraft, 29, was one of the 19 . But she's worried what will happen when the dust settles from all of this. 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. Not only had it been the deadliest wildfire ever in Arizona, it was one of the worst in the United States. The fire has also destroyed an estimated 200 homes, Morrison said. the adventure of the mysterious picture summary, coda shop myanmar, what is a private savings note, scott reese nhl she's out of my league, eric church house north carolina, kelly kinicki city on a hill, jennifer riordan settlement, harriman state park dogs, outrigger . Not this time. That they are missed and that they're still going to live on in our lives and in the lives of our kids. Juliann Ashcraft, widow of deceased firefighter in Yarnell, Ariz. fire is fighting for lifetime benefits she was denied by the city of Prescott. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. She says her husband and his fellow firefighters "loved what they did" and shares how she and . We grieve for the department. 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. The best result we found for your search is Juliann Ashcraft age 60s in Newport, WA. . 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. 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. 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. "It was everything to him. 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He sent back a picture of the fire, which he described as wild, that would ultimately claim his life. 'The best person I know. They died together - doing what they loved.'. Right now, we're in crisis. Billie Grace grinned. CBS News obtained paperwork that shows Ashcraft did earn a full-time salary. Older Americans increasingly struggling to save for retirement. Also killed was Kevin Woyjeck, who followed in the footsteps of his father, a fire captain with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It turns out, however, their families may not receive the same compensation. Read:Former Firefighter Burned on 70 Percent of His Body While Fighting Wildfire Has Found Love. The Red Cross has opened two shelters in the area - at Yavapai College in Prescott and at the Wickenburg High School gym. Top 3 Results for Juliann Ashcraft. Chris MacKenzie joined the Forest Service in 2004 and had been in the Prescott Fire Department for two years. Were there REALLY not enough tests when Matt Hancock 'had to reject Chris Whitty's advice on care home swabs'? I dreamed of Daddy Billy.. President Obama called the firefighters heroes and highly skilled professionals who 'put themselves in harm's way to protect the lives and property of fellow citizens they would never meet.'. She and Billy used to go to nearby Patagonia often, to hike and fish, taking State Highway 83. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Bryan Kohberger Fights Bids to Lift Gag Order By Parties Seeking New Details About Murder Investigation . I saw that it kept growing, Roxanne said. 3. Harry wants to raise Billie Grace the way her father would have. She and 18 other families still won't have fathers and husbands around for birthdays and holidays. 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. 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. As they left the fire station, Roxanne washappy they made the trip. 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. She calls Harry Daddy Hop, a nickname from his initials. 'I asked, "Will you be sleeping out there tonight?"' He was a father of four young children. Nineteen men, members of an elite "Hotshot" team, died Sunday battling the out-of-control wildfire Sunday outside Yarnell, Ariz. 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. 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. Returning Family Member Lisa Hampton Recalls the Year Her Husband Daniel was Honored and Shares a Message of Hope for New Families. That's why he did what he did, because he want to protect the community where he lived. Andrew Ashcraft was a firefighter, a member of an elite hotshot team. 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I tell them we'll be OK, and that I love them.". She tells peopleRoxanne was a lot like that as a child. He's selfless, and I think he thought of our kids and he thought of wishing he was home with them at that moment. She was named Billie Grace, for her father. 'We grieve for the family. Final moments: Mrs Ashcraft shared the final image Andrew Ashcraft texted her before the 19 firefighters were killed by the flames, An honorary flagpole is shown at the site where the 19 firefighters died, The devastation has been described as a 'moonscape' after an inferno so intense that only the metal part of one chain saw was found, 'It still did not look as catastrophic as it turned out to be,' she said. Members trained by running, hiking, yoga, doing core exercises and weight training. Prescott High School physical education teacher and coach Lou Beneitone taught many of the Hotshots, and remembered Ashcraft as a fitness-oriented student. 'That's what it takes. 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News: Juliann Ashcraft, pictured right, learned of her husband's death while watching the news, Smiles: The loving couple had four children together, and Mrs Ashcraft is battling to kept afloat as bills mount, Doting dad: Ashcraft, pictured, with two of his four kids, was a hero, 'They died heroes,' she told azcentral.com as she wept. 'We just lost 19 of some of the finest people you'll ever meet. I was able to beat back the anxiety, she said. '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. Andrew Ashcraft, 29, seen here with his wife, Juliann Ashcraft, was one of 19 elite "hotshot" firefighters killed in an Arizona wildfire this week. In an. Hot shot crews are elite firefighters who often hike for miles into the wilderness with chain saws and backpacks filled with heavy gear to build lines of protection between people and fires. 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. 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. host: ITV boss who 'forced out Piers Morgan' confirms star will step down after next season - following Meghan column fallout, Nearly half of British viewers believe ethnic minorities and LGBT communities are over-represented on TV, new survey finds, What you need to know about new number plates on cars being sold across the country TODAY - and how to find out where yours was registered, When do the clocks change in 2023? Dry grass near the communities of Yarnell and Glen Isla fed the fast-moving blaze. 'They died heroes,' she told azcentral.com as she wept. Please enter valid email address to continue. The comments below have not been moderated. They are heroes. Only The Brave isan upcoming film starring Josh Brolin and Jennifer Connelly, which documents the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a heroic firefighting team overtaken by a raging Arizonawildfire in 2013. It was zero per cent contained late Sunday. '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."'. 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. 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. Reach Bland at karina.bland@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8614. She said she learned of her husband's death while watching the news with their four children. '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. . Can dementia be spotted in CHILDHOOD? 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. The deaths mean that Prescott has lost a staggering 20 per cent of its department. Roxanne still tells Billie Grace stories about her father, and Billie Grace tells them to Harry. Nineteen shelters were deployed and some of the firefighters were found inside them, Mike Reichling from the Arizona State Forestry Division told the Arizona Republic. The 4-1 vote came at the same time that an army of . 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. It had been almost four years since her husband, wildland firefighter Billy Warneke, was killed by a raging blaze in Yarnell. It continues to burn, with flames lighting up the night sky in the forest above Yarnell, a town of about 700 residents about 85 miles northwest of Phoenix. As a result of the dispute, there were two separate memorial. Now Roxanne was headed to the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District station, near the first fire she had confronted since then. 'I asked, "Will you be sleeping out there tonight?"' 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. These are people who risk their own lives every day," Roxanne said. The heartbroken wife of Andrew Ashcraft, a father-of-four who was killed by the Arizona wildfire with 18 of his firefighting comrades on Sunday, has revealed their last conversation - and her fears when he never responded to her messages. Juliann Ashcraft and her husband Andrew were twenty-somethings with four young children when he died in the line of duty in Prescott, Arizona on June 30, 2013. 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? They got on the road, leaving baby Owen at home with a sitter. the house Billy had dreamed of, the one he promised Roxanne, was built by firefighters, friends and neighbors, and complete strangers, They focus on safety for wildland firefighters, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. She worried how she would react. ', Tragic: Chris Mackenzie (right) also died in the inferno on June 30. They hope to launch an accredited education program for wildland firefighters. "The city has fully complied with all of the laws and employment policies that direct survivor benefits," the statement said. Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of fallen firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, one of 19 men who sacrificed his life battling a wildfire Sunday outside of Yarnell, Ariz., discussed the final text messages and photos she shared with her husband hours before he died. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Outside of the love he shared for his family. The 29-year-old former "rookie of the year" on the elite "Hotshot" team, was a father of four, all of whom are younger than 6 years old. The property offer sweet spot! Yes, Roxanne told her. He listened intently as she recounted her dream. Do you or a loved one work for a Hotshot crew? "Now I have four kids and myself, and I don't know what I'm going to do.". The importance of preparing emotionally for retirement, Supreme Court hears arguments in student loan case. The elite team, Ashcraft said, were like a family. Owen, born in March, is a content baby. 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. The 25-year-old had joined the fire department just three months ago. As she kept watch on the Sawmill Fire,Roxanne sent a Facebook message to Deborah. 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. Roxanne told them about the non-profit group. 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. People you 'll ever meet 2004 and had been in the United States 'they heroes! 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