Official: 19 firefighters dead in Arizona

Nineteen firefighters were killed Sunday battling a blaze in Arizona, the state forestry division said. The vast majority were fromPrescott, said Wade Ward with the Prescott Fire Department. State forestry official Art Morrison said the firefighters were members of a "hotshot" crew, tasked with digging a fire line and creating an escape route. "In normal circumstances, when you're digging fire line, you make sure you have a good escape route, and you have a safety zoneset up," Morrison said. "Evidently, their safety zone wasn't big enough, andthe fire just overtook them." The crew was fighting the Yarnell Hill fire, which broke out Friday northwest of Phoenix. The fire has grownto 1,000 acres, damaged three homes and forced the evacuations of residents in the communities of Peeples Valley and Yarnell, Morrisonsaid. Authorities believe lightning sparked the blaze. Not including the 19 deaths reported in Arizona, there have been 43 firefighter fatalities reported so far in 2013, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. A total of83 firefighters died last year while on duty. A Facebook page in memory of the Arizona firefighters was created Sunday night. People left their condolencesand messages of support. "Such a tragic loss. My heartaches for these brave souls, and for their families and friends," wrote one.source:CNN