Nineteen firefighters have been killed while battling a raging wildfire near Yarnell, Az.
They were part of the Prescott Granite Mountain Hot Shots, KSAZ reported.
This is the greatest loss of life for the fire service since Sept. 11. In April, 10 responders were killed in a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.
Details were sketchy Sunday night as the fire continued to rage. However, some of the 22 injured had been flown to a burn unit in Phoenix while others went to a Wickenburg Community Hospital and Yavapai Regional Medical Center, according to The Republic.
Wickenburg Hospital was put on alert to expect several injured firefighters but CEO Jim Tavary, did not know their conditions or the extent of their injuries. He said they were setting up incident command.
About 20 of the more than 250 firefighters battling the nearly 2,000-acre fire were involved in a “very serious incident within an situation,” Mike Reichling, Arizona State Forestry Division spokesman told local media.
One of those firefighters has since been located, though it’s unknown if there are any injuries.
"Our concern right now is the 20 firefighters," he told reporters earlier in the day.
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Homes have burned and hospitals have reported injuries from the blaze that had reached Yarnell.
