19 Firefighters Dead

[Duchess]

The 19 brave Arizona firefighters killed in a fierce wildfire last weekend were 'calm, cool and collected' even in their final moments, it has emerged.

Granite Mountain Hotshots team leader Eric Marsh radioed through to let his commanders know the group had a predetermined safety zone. Moments later, he radioed back with a more serious message: He and his colleagues - many of whom were barely more than boys - would be deploying their emergency shelters, their last resort against the advancing blaze.

'From what I've heard, it was the calmest they've ever heard Eric,' fire department spokesman Wade Ward said. 'They were in a tight spot and everyone knew this was going to be a bitch. But his voice was very calm: "We're deploying."' Ward added: 'They all stayed together. Nobody ran.'

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