He had been serving.
The granite mountain hotshots survivor.
On june 30 2013 the yarnell hill fire claimed their lives when a firestorm roared through brush 90 miles northwest of phoenix leaving mcdonough the only survivor of the 20 man granite mountain.
Prescott fire chief dan fraijo later confirmed that all 19 were from the granite mountain hotshots.
Julie jacobson associated press by nigel duara.
On june 30 firefighters with the prescott fire department s interagency called the granite mountain hotshots were overrun and killed by the fire.
Every one of the granite mountain hotshots except for mcdonough was burned alive sometime after 4 30 p m.
The yarnell hill fire was a wildfire near yarnell arizona ignited by dry lightning on june 28 2013 on june 30 it overran and killed 19 members of the granite mountain hotshots just one of the hotshots on the crew survived he was posted as a lookout on the fire and was not with the others when the fire overtook them.
Photos of the 19 fallen granite mountain hotshot firefighters and brendan mcdonough the lone survivor in prescott ariz in 2013.
The lone survivor from the 20 man crew was 21 year old brendan mcdonough.
Nineteen of the 20 members of the granite mountain hotshots an elite crew trained to fight wilderness fires died on june 30 2013 as they battled a fierce fire outside the old gold mining village of yarnell arizona.
They were nature conservationists athletes and above all firefighters.
Mcdonough walks back to his seat after speaking at a memorial service for the fallen members of the granite mountain hotshots on july a week after the tragedy wiped out his team.