U.S.
Radio problems contributed to the deaths of 19 Arizona firefighters battling a wildfire there in June, according to investigation results released Saturday.
The report (PDF) by a team of fire experts cited improperly programmed radios, vague updates and a 30-minute communication blackout just before the flames engulfed the men.
The report also said that at the moment the firefighters were killed, an air tanker carrying fire retardant was hovering overhead, waiting for an update about their location.
The 20-member Granite Mountain Hotshots team had arrived on June 30 to fight the fire outside Yarnell, around 80 miles northwest of Phoenix.
About nine hours later, the crew radioed that they were trapped by flames and were deploying their shelters. One crew member, who was assigned to lookout duty, survived.
The report did not place blame on the firefighters or their superiors, and said that the investigation “found no indication of negligence, reckless actions, or violations of policy or protocol.”
“The judgments and decisions of the incident management organizations managing this fire were reasonable. Firefighters performed within their scope of duty, as defined by their respective organizations,” the investigation concluded.
Al Jazeera and The Associated Press
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