"None of us ever did it for money. Four years ago, the Granite Mountain Hotshots died battling a horrifying wildfire in Yarnell. Yet it also offers a timely reminder that stories are decisions, that … You just overcome.". "I sunk. But images of his daughter crept into his head. You don't quit. Directed by Joseph Kosinski. A firefighter walked up to Diane Helm, who was in her yard surveying damage after the fire. Wasn't a bad decision.". But by then the 21-year-old elite wildland firefighter -- whom his fellow Hotshots affectionately called "Donut" in a play on his last name -- knew the horrible truth that their own families did not yet know, as he sat in the seat absorbing the magnitude of what was happening. On the morning of June 30, all 20 members of Prescott, Arizona's Granite Mountain Hotshots headed into the mountains to protect the small town of Yarnell from an advancing blaze. Every one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, except for McDonough, was burned alive sometime after 4:30 p.m. on June 30, when the Yarnell Hill Fire suddenly whipped 180 degrees around and cut off their escape route from a scrub brush meadow to a nearby ranch. Almost two hours after it was reported at 4:47 p.m. that the Hotshots had deployed protective personal shelters, an Arizona state paramedic hiked up to the site of torched chaparral and confirmed the worst. At 4:47, it was reported over the radio that McDonough's crewmates had been forced to deploy their individual fire shelters -- a last ditch step. Brendan McDonough, 21, is the lone survivor of the 20-man team that went into the Yarnell Hill Fire as it spread throughout central Arizona. The lone survivor from the 20-man crew was 21-year-old Brendan McDonough. Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo later confirmed that all 19 were from the Granite Mountain Hotshots. The men gave their lives to protect Yarnell. A harrowing tale of resilience in the face of tragedy, My Lost Brothers is a powerful reminder of the heroism of the people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us. "Whoever didn't bring their phone, I could hear phones ringing, knowing that it was their wives, their family," McDonough recounted in an exclusive interview with ABC News to air on "Good Morning America" today. Why aren't they sitting here with me?'" \"We need to get back in here. I was the only person they're going to see," McDonough said. Just -- a typical day, going direct on a fire," he told ABC News. The structural firefighting mentality “is dangerously seeping into the wildland realm and needs to be stopped,” Schoeffler warned. Lone survivor Brendan McDonough and Only the Brave moviemakers honor the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed in Arizona in 2013 The board is considering a request from Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died last year, for full survivor and retirement benefits even though her … No one. Jan Brewer and other state officials quickly repudiated Payne, who isn't involved in the probe, for offering his opinions before all the facts are in. If you are interested in booking him for a speaking event please visit the link below. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Brendan McDonough lost 19 friends in the Yarnell Hill fire and asks why he was spared. The art of storytelling is treacherous, and the new film Only the Brave, released last Friday, is among the more noteworthy recent displays of the arts peculiarities and pitfalls. "No, I never question the decisions they've made," he said, seated in the ready room beneath crossed axes affixed to one wall. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. OUR VISION is an exemplary, one-of-a kind wildland fire learning center that honors the legacy of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew by educating, inspiring, and motivating visitors to adopt behaviors that prevent wildland fires, resulting in fewer fire-related fatalities. This October, it’s not about what’s standing in front of you. Covered in soot over his bright yellow protective clothing and heavy boots as darkness fell on June 30, waves of guilt for being the only Hotshot spared death was a gut punch made all the more painful by the chirping phones behind him in the buggy. The Helms were among the first to find out that a crew of 19 firefighters had died nearby. McDonough survived simply because he'd been chosen that day for an important job -- he was the crew's lookout a half mile away watching "fire behavior" and monitoring weather changes -- and he was able to escape the cascade of flames shooting as high as 50 feet. #OnlyTheBrave, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots only in theaters. PHOENIX — Brendan McDonough survived one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, an inferno near Yarnell, Ariz., that killed 19 of his fellow Granite Mountain Hotshots on June 30, 2013. The newspaper reports that the lone survivor from the Granite Mountain Hotshots, Brendan McDonough who was serving as a lookout away from the crew during the tragedy, overheard a … The book is part of it, he told The Arizona Republicon Friday, saying he hopes people who struggle with addiction, grief and PTSD realize there's hope for a better life. Instead of moving north, it started moving south as the flame front leapt from 25 to 50 feet high. ... Christopher MacKenzie and the crew’s sole survivor, Brendan McDonough. "From where they were, they could see it picking up. "I have no clue," says lone hotshot survivor Brendan McDonough. He was the only one to survive. The blond, rail-thin veteran of three fire seasons led ABC News through the crew's station, a place once a center of activity in fire season but now sorrowfully quiet and filled with U.S. flags signed by fire squads, commemorative wood carvings, postcards and letters of gratitude from many whose homes were saved by the Hotshots, as well as children's playful drawings saying "thank you." The crew had 11 kids among them, including McDonough's own two-year-old daughter, and three not yet born who lost dads they'll never meet. On June 30, firefighters with the Prescott Fire Department's interagency Granite Mountain Hotshots were overrun and killed by the fire. is the lone survivor of the Yarnell Hill fire tragedy of 2013. In this exclusive documentary by Dan Winters and Kyle Dickman, friends, family, and the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Hotshots speak … Lone survivor Brendan McDonough and Only the Brave moviemakers honor the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed in Arizona in 2013 The Granite Mountain Inter-agency Hotshots had been protecting the city with over $3.1 billion in assessed value, over 18,000 homes and 24,000 residents. Building a sense of brotherhood within communities gives McDonough great joy – because it helps this fighter honor the legacy of his 19 lost, but not forgotten, brothers. Once the smoke began to clear, Arizona DPS Paramedic-Officer Eric Tarr was lowered by helicopter to the area to triage any survivors and found what he later called a "moonscape appearance." ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report. Arizona Hotshots firefighters 'died from burns and inhalation problems' This article is more than 7 years old. 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