john melendez tonight show salary / CBS News. He responded that he wished for that too. 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. Nineteen firefighters were killed, Proud: Kevin Woyjeck, right, is pictured with his father, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. After a fire breaks out, they hike for miles into the wilderness with chain saws and backpacks filled with heavy gear to build lines of protection between people and the blaze. We grieve for the department. She told the Today show how, apart from his family, fighting fires with the Granite Mountain Hotshots was his life. She was named Billie Grace, for her father. Blue Ridge had helped battle the blaze that killed Billy and the hotshot crew. juliann ashcraft new husband. Just days after the men's deaths, Mrs Ashcraft revealed the last conversation she had with her husband - and her fears when he never responded to her text messages. Watch Live: Closing arguments begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Intel review says "very unlikely" foreign adversary behind "Havana Syndrome", Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. ', In love: Juliann, right, is pictured with Andrew Ashcraft, left, in happier times, Heartbreaking: Not only was Juliann Ashcraft, pictured, devastated to lose her husband, she is now facing raising their four children without the benefits she is entitled to. ", "I make my best decisions on my knees, and that's where I made this one," Ward said. 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. (CBS News) Among the 19 firefighters killed Sunday in Arizona was 29-year-old Andrew Ashcraft. "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 said. They died together - doing what they loved.'. It's been a long year since Juliann Ashcraft learned that her husband was one of 19 firefighters killed in an Arizona wildfire. July 2, 2013, 3:05 PM. ", Juliann Ashcraft always knew her husband had a dangerous job fighting wildfires, but he was one of the elite -- a Granite Mountain Hotshot. Roxanne had married Billy in 2008, but they had known each other since high school. He left behind two young sons. 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Whats the point of living a life if you arent happy?. Andrew Ashcraft was a firefighter, a member of an elite hotshot team. In the months after the fire, there would be an investigation. Juliann Ashcraft is looking forward to July 1, the day after the one-year anniversary of the wildfire disaster that took the lives of her husband Andrew and 18 other members of the Granite. CBS News obtained paperwork that shows Ashcraft did earn a full-time salary. 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. There was silence for a moment. The highly-skilled team was overtaken by a fast-moving blaze stoked by hot winds on Sunday. That is the way I saw each and every one of them, she said. The smell of smoke could still make Roxanne panic. Only The Brave opens in theaters nationwide on October 20. Roxanne would take her daughter to Billys grave with flowers and his dog. (CBS News) PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Five weeks ago, 19 men were killed fighting a wildfire near Yarnell, Ariz. 'We're devastated. On July 1, the day after the men were killed, Mrs Ashcraft was pictured distraught at a makeshift memorial in Prescott for the fallen firefighters. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. ', 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. 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. They reach out to firefighters and families who need support. They are heroes. Andrew Ashcraft, 29, of Prescott, Ariz., was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of 19 firefighters who died battling a fire that swept through Yarnell, Ariz., on Sunday. Highly trained: Members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots (pictured last year) had been fighting wildfire in New Mexico and elsewhere in Arizona, Flames: Fire crews can be seen as a wildfire burns homes in the Glenn Ilah area near Yarnell, Arizona Sunday, Tragedy: Winds from a thunderstorm fanned the flames toward the tragic 19 hotshots, but fire chiefs did not pull out their men in time, Destroyed: The report said that by keeping crews on the mountain they were prioritizing the safety of property before the lives of its firefighters. Ashcraft did not think it would be this much of an issue. Dry grass near the communities of Yarnell and Glen Isla fed the fast-moving blaze. . Harry stayed close to her. It was unclear exactly how the crew became trapped. Juliann Ashcraft sobbed as she recounted the bravery of her beloved husband Andrew and his close unit of highly-trained 'hotshot' colleagues, who were overcome by the ferocious flames in Yarnell . 'He had some athletic ability in him and he was a go-getter, too. "And we'll miss them. The area has not suffered a fire in 40 years. Together, the four of them are making a life together. Because even though Billie Grace never got to meet her father, Roxanne wants her to remember him. Mike Krumboltz. ', Of his team, she added: 'They loved what they did. 'We could sure use some rain over here,' he said. It was unclear exactly how the crew became trapped. 'He was the most amazing man,' she said. Yet there she stood, her loss all too real. At times, the pain is overwhelming for the women and they say their hotshot firefighters were larger than life now they will have a fitting tribute on the big screen. 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She told the Today show how, apart from his family, fighting fires with the Granite Mountain Hotshots was his life. Please enter valid email address to continue. Watch her comments below. 'It's an extreme measure that's taken under the absolute worst conditions. 3. Thats for your daddy, she told her. The city of Prescott told her that full family survivor benefits will only be awarded to the families of full-time employees. Watch Firefighters Rescue 2 Baby Deer From Wildfire: Smoky Bear Would Be Proud. Now Roxanne was headed to the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District station, near the first fire she had confronted since then. It was 20 percent contained and awind had kicked up. We just lost 19 of the finest people you'll ever meet.'. 'Now I have four kids and myself, and I don't know what I'm going to do. Nineteen men lost their lives while saving the town of Yarnell, located 90 minutes from Phoenix. 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. 'I asked, "Will you be sleeping out there tonight?"' The shocking treatment comes five weeks afterthe mother-of-four learned by watching the news that her firefighter husband had perished in the intense blaze that burned scores of homes to the ground. It turns out that, just a few weeks after the tragedy, one widow, More than once, Mr. Kuykendall had argued against extending benefits for Ms. Ashcraft and her children, telling The Associated Press last fall that it was very obvious she was motivated by greed. 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. He added that the firefighters had to deploy the emergency shelters when 'something drastic' occurred. 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But the city of Prescott, where the Hotshots were based, is now claiming he was a seasonal worker, despite him working a 40 hour week year round, and denying Mrs Ashcraft full benefits. Southwest incident team leader Clay Templin said the team and its commanders were following safety protocols, but it appears the fire's erratic nature simply overwhelmed them. Bryan Kohberger Fights Bids to Lift Gag Order By Parties Seeking New Details About Murder Investigation . The fire that swept over the Granite Mountain Hotshots left Juliann Ashcraft a widow. The property offer sweet spot! We love them." Source: Getty Images Article continues below advertisement First published on August 5, 2013 / 7:54 PM. "They died heroes," she said, crying and wiping tears away from her eyes. He was a father of four young children. Watch Live: Closing arguments begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Intel review says "very unlikely" foreign adversary behind "Havana Syndrome", Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. 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 . Confused: Juliann Ashcraft, pictured, is fighting with the city of Prescott for the benefits she is being denied, Children: Mrs Ashcraft, pictured, was left to raise her four children alone. she told the Today show as she struggled to hold back the tears. "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. 'We grieve for the family. She never took her eyes off his casket until it was lowered into the ground. 'It still did not look as catastrophic as it turned out to be,' she said. 'By the time they got there, it was moving very quickly,' he said. That they are missed and that they're still going to live on in our lives and in the lives of our kids. Her heart pounded, and she began to hyperventilate. They have also lived in Elk, WA and Chattaroy, WA. That they were loved. Krista Carter's husband, Travis, was a father of two. 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. Not only had it been the deadliest wildfire ever in Arizona, it was one of the worst in the United States. Juliann Ashcraft's husband, Andrew, was one of 19 firefighters killed battling a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona on June 30. 'I asked, "Will you be sleeping out there tonight?"' It was zero per cent contained late Sunday. 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.'. At the time, Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said the 19 firefighters were a part of the city's fire department. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. They remove brush, trees and anything that might burn in the direction of homes and cities. The 25-year-old had joined the fire department just three months ago. I dreamed of Daddy Billy.. 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Were there REALLY not enough tests when Matt Hancock 'had to reject Chris Whitty's advice on care home swabs'? If State Highway 83 had been open, it would have taken an hour and a half or so. They were invincible. Everybody fighting the fire are Daddy Billys friends. Another board member, Wade Ward of the Prescott Fire Department, said the question was difficult because "everything that we've gone through and continue to go through is unprecedented. With their deaths, the department lost 20 per cent of its members. she told the Today show early last month as she struggled to hold back the tears. With the detour, it was more than two hours before they got there. She added that she had been sending him pictures of their children swimming that day, and how his daughter had commented that she wished he was there to see the thunder storm with them. While her. 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