She took in a breath and slowly let it out. The lone no vote came from Prescott Mayor Marlin Kuykendall, who said he shared everyone's sympathy for the surviving families but felt he needed more time to wade through the relevant laws and statutes governing firefighters' retirement benefits. Andrew Ashcraft, 29, was one of the 19 . host: ITV boss who 'forced out Piers Morgan' confirms star will step down after next season - following Meghan column fallout, Nearly half of British viewers believe ethnic minorities and LGBT communities are over-represented on TV, new survey finds, What you need to know about new number plates on cars being sold across the country TODAY - and how to find out where yours was registered, When do the clocks change in 2023? Andrew Ashcraft's mother, Deborah Pfingston, also spoke with CBS News' Carter Evans about her son. 'We just lost 19 of some of the finest people you'll ever meet. The best result we found for your search is Juliann Ashcraft age 60s in Newport, WA. 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. A couple of firefighters approached the truck, curious how a civilian vehicle had gotten past the roadblocks. 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. The 4-1 vote came at the same time that an army of Hotshots from around the West was returning to the area to battle a fire near Slide Rock State Park less than 100 miles from where their 19 Granite Mountain colleagues died. Roxanne tried to prepare herself for the smell. Billy had served four years in the Marine Corps, including a tour in Iraq. There was silence for a moment. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "Now I have four kids and myself, and I don't know what I'm going to do.". She doesn't want the smell of smoke to ever make her feel the way her mother did for so long. 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. 'We're devastated. July 2, 2013, 3:05 PM. Andrew Ashcraft, 29, was dad to four kids. Read more here. ', Of his team, she added: 'They loved what they did. She never took her eyes off his casket until it was lowered into the ground. The 4-1 vote came at the same time that an army of . She wants Billie Grace to meet people who did the work her father did. Firefighter Sean Misner never met his baby boy, Sean, Jr., nor did firefighter Anthony Rose, who left behind a daughter, Willow. Overwhelmed with gratitude for the strangers who sent letters and cards and offered support, Ashcraft converted a 40-foot Greyhound bus into a home on wheels and hit the road with her . How did this happen? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He responded that he wished for that too. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of slain Arizona firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, talked about the final text messages she was sent by her husband earlier this week just before he died. He was one of 19 firefighters who died a year ago in the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona. That they were loved. Top 3 Results for Juliann Ashcraft. Were there REALLY not enough tests when Matt Hancock 'had to reject Chris Whitty's advice on care home swabs'? Roxanne buried Billy in the veterans sections of a cemetery in Marana, with full military honors, not far from where they lived. The unfamiliar truck pulled up to the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District station, where crews were stopping to pick up supplies on their way to the Sawmill Fire. It didnt come. The highly-skilled team was overtaken by a fast-moving blaze stoked by hot winds on Sunday. Ms. Ashcraft said Thursday that not . 'It still did not look as catastrophic as it turned out to be,' she said. The local firefighters union said of the 13 hotshots denied full benefits, Andrew Ashcraft was the only one to work 40 hours a week year round. None of them answered all of her questions. Ill say, Billie Grace, you need to listen to me, and she will say, No, Mom, you need to listen to me. It is hard for Roxanne not to laugh. Not this time. 'It had to be a perfect storm in order for this to happen,' Prescott Fire Department spokesman Wade Ward told the Today show. He's selfless, and I think he thought of our kids and he thought of wishing he was home with them at that moment. Ariz. firefighters wife: They were heroes, battling the out-of-control wildfire Sunday. We grieve for the department. Top nutrition scientist says you should drink as many varieties as possible 'because it's good for your gut', Andrew Ashcraft, 29, died beside 18 of his 'Hotshot' comrades on June 30, He left behind his young wife, Juliann, and their four children, the youngest of whom is 18 months, Five weeks after the tragedy, Mrs Ashcraft has been denied the full lifetime benefits she was relying on to raise the couple's children, City of Prescott claims the Hotshot was one of 13 firefighters who were 'seasonal' workers, They say she is therefore only entitled to worker's compensation and a one off payment of $328,000, But Mr Ashcraft actually worked 40 hours a week all year round. ', 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. The team, which was formed in 2002, is part of the Prescott Fire Department, the oldest in the state. They got on the road, leaving baby Owen at home with a sitter. I wish for the world could know that they lost this army of honorable men, she said.On the day of the fire, the father of four texted how much he loved his family and shared a photo of the wildfire as the hotshots moved into harms way. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. But she's worried what will happen when the dust settles from all of this. Because of the dangers of the job, he would always tell us that he loved us.'. Everybody fighting the fire are Daddy Billys friends. We love them.'. Juliann Ashcraft said she is desperate for help. Her palms grew sweaty. She is Roxanne Preston now, having married a man named Harry Preston last summer. In memory of 19 fire fighters, it said. And I want the world to know that they were heroes, and I would find the tallest mountain and shout how great they are. He often asks Roxanne, What do you think Billy would want?. Harry is an ex-Marine with friends who are firefighters, so he, too, was tracking the fire. Family photographs reveal a picture perfect family as Juliann and Andrew are seen grinning and kissing, as well as laughing along with their four young children. Joe Woyjeck, Loved: The bodies of Wade Parker, 22, left, and 21-year-old Woyjeck, right, were retrieved on Monday, Heroes: A group photograph shows members of the Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots, Andrew Ashcraft - 29Robert Caldwell - 23Travis Carter - 31Dustin Deford - 24Christopher MacKenzie - 30Eric Marsh - 43Grant McKee - 21Sean Misner - 26Scott Norris - 28Wade Parker - 22John Percin - 24Anthony Rose - 23Jesse Steed - 36Joe Thurston - 32Travis Turbyfill - 27William Warneke - 25Clayton Whitted - 28Kevin Woyjeck - 21Garret Zuppiger - 27, 'Their situational awareness and their training was at such a high level that it's unimaginable that this has even happened.'. 'It had to be a perfect storm in order for this to happen,' Prescott Fire Department spokesman Wade Ward told the Today show last month. When do the clocks change in 2023? 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, In a statement to CBS News, Prescott officials said the city had 'fully complied with all of the laws and employment polices that direct survivor benefits.'. Asked what she tells her kids, Juliann Ashcraft said: "I just tell them how amazing their dad is. juliann ashcraft new husband; By . Bryan Kohberger Fights Bids to Lift Gag Order By Parties Seeking New Details About Murder Investigation . List of 19 promises made by Andrew Sterling Ashcraft to his wife . Her husband Andrew was 29 years old. Click here to share your story. They have also lived in Elk, WA and Chattaroy, WA. '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,' Mrs Ashcraft, whose youngest child is just 18 months old, told CBS News. Ashcraft had only been with the Hotshots for a few years, as we can surmise from Juliann Ashcraft's comments about her husband's decorated career as an elite firefighter. The fire had stretched out over more than 40,000 acres. First published on July 3, 2013 / 5:33 AM. These are people who risk their own lives every day," Roxanne said. Juliann Ashcraft said: "It was out of the ordinary for him, because he said 'this is getting wild' and 'Peoples Valley an Yarnell are looking to burn.' Three of the women were pregnant when disaster struck. Now the fire had shut down that route. Death toll: The Yarnell wildfire is the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. for at least 30 years. Harry stayed close to her. 'I said to them, "My husband was a full-time employee, he went to work full-time for you,"' she said, 'and their response to me was, "Perhaps there was a communication issue in your marriage."'. Another, Roxanne Warneke, who lives just outside Tucson, has. 'This is as dark a day as I can remember,' Gov. 'Our entire crew was lost,' Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo told reporters. While her husband was on a break during the early stages. Read:Former Firefighter Burned on 70 Percent of His Body While Fighting Wildfire Has Found Love. "They were heroes to the people that they helped there. "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. The National Fire Protection Association had previously listed the deadliest wildland fire involving firefighters as the 1994 Storm King Fire near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, which killed 14 firefighters who were overtaken by a sudden explosion of flames. 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. "I want to be able to just be mourning my husband, be supporting. Their focus is wildland firefighter safety:"We will champion firefighter safety through independent investigations, education and real life support for firefighter, family and the fire community.". ", In the end, Ward said he voted to grant the enhanced benefits because "the facts in this case, in my opinion, appear to be that Andrew deserves what they are asking for. 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. Mike Krumboltz. As the bodies of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were recovered, it emerged that the team's 20th member survived as he was moving the crew's truck when the flames overcame his comrades. Roxanne had married Billy in 2008, but they had known each other since high school. These men lived together. As much as he loved his crew, I know in some way he must have thought of My God, I can't be leaving my family, she said. Dry grass near the communities of Yarnell and Glen Isla fed the fast-moving blaze. "They were the best of the best.". Ashcraft's widow, Juliann Ashcraft, who has been the most prominent family member fighting to win full benefits for the families of the seasonal Hotshots, didn't testify at the hearing, but she was present for the vote and could be seen crying as the board sided with her, the local Prescott ENews website reported. They died together. Prescott High School physical education teacher and coach Lou Beneitone taught many of the Hotshots, and remembered Ashcraft as a fitness-oriented student. News: Juliann Ashcraft, pictured right, learned of her husband's death while watching the news, Smiles: The loving couple had four children together, and Mrs Ashcraft is battling to kept afloat as bills mount, Doting dad: Ashcraft, pictured, with two of his four kids, was a hero, 'They died heroes,' she told azcentral.com as she wept. While Juliann is devastated by what happened to her husband she knows that he died doing what he loved saving lives. Thats for your daddy, she told her. Because of the dangers of the job, he would always tell us that he loved us. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Helicopters had been unable to reach the highly-trained men as they fought the flames in Yarnell and they could not be saved by their emergency shelters - tent-like structures meant to shield them from flames and heat. AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, stretched out over more than 40,000 acres. They were heroes in our home, they were heroes in our community," she said. Juliann is related to Terry C Ashcraft and Olive Ellen Ashcraft as well as 3 additional people. 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. What's the next step for she and her children? 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