Arizona forest agency found at fault in death of 19 firefighters

Arizona's workplace safety agency recommended Wednesday that the state Forestry Division pay a nearly $560,000 fine in the deaths of 19 firefighters, saying officials placed the protection of homes, other structures, and pastures ahead of firefighter safety.

The proposed citations from the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) said forestry officials managing the Yarnell Hill Fire northwest of Phoenix also failed to promptly remove downwind crews when fire suppression became ineffective, placing hundreds of firefighters at risk for smoke inhalation, burns and death.

All but one member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots died on June 30 when they became trapped in a brush-choked section of forest near Yarnell. The Arizona State Forestry Division oversaw the fight against the blaze on state land.

The safety agency presented the proposals to the state Industrial Commission at a meeting in Phoenix. The commission has the final say on whether the fines are imposed.

Commissioners could decide to accept the proposals as presented, ask for more information or make changes, said Abbie Fink, a spokeswoman for the safety agency.

The review by ADOSH occurred simultaneously but separately from a three-month investigation by national experts into the circumstances surrounding the deaths. That report found lapses in communication from the crew in the hour before the firefighters died, but found authorities followed proper procedure and should not be reprimanded.

The 19 members of the crew employed by the city of Prescott had been in a relatively safe position on a ridge top. For some unknown reason and without notifying anyone, they moved down the mountainside through an unburned area. The men found themselves trapped by a wall of flames when winds shifted the fire in their direction.

They deployed their emergency shelters but perished in the scorching heat. The surviving crew member had been the lookout.

The ADOSH investigation found that the city of Prescott was in compliance with standards for training and crew rest.

Earlier this month, the mother of one of the killed firefighters notified state and city authorities that she planned to file a lawsuit over her son's death. She claimed authorities were trying to "whitewash" the investigation which found the Forestry Division did little wrong.

The mother of firefighter who died while battling the Yarnell Hill blaze on June 30, intends to sue state and local authorities for negligence and attempting to "whitewash" an investigation into the deaths of the crew. She’s seeking millions in damages.

"It's not supposed to be like this," she wrote in a document reviewed by ABC News. "No more Mother's Day cards or phone calls...My life was also taken that day because he was my life."

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press