They are supposed to be the experts in controlling fire. But when they are the ones whose lives are being taken, that speaks volumes about the intensity of the danger.

Nineteen firefighters laid down their lives while trying to contain a strong wildfire that is wreaking havoc over Yarnell, Arizona. A town 80 miles northwest of Phoenix, it is just one of the areas that have experienced an intense heat wave over the Western United States. Yavapai County Sheriff Office spokesman Steve Skurja said that fellow firefighters retrieved the bodies of unlucky ones.

The firefighters are from Prescott, Arizona and are members of a wildfire-fighting group called Granite Mountain Hotshots. All victims have been identified but their names will only be made public after their families get hold of the tragic news. Tempe Fire Department Chief Dan Fraijo told that the accident happened as the crew was trying to put up an emergency shelter.

Established in 2002, the now-extinct group helped contain the other wildfires that emerged in New Mexico and Arizona due to the present heat wave in Western United States. Before this catastrophic incident that spawned prayers for those they have left behind, the National Interagency Fire Center reports Arizona only had 21 casualties due to wildfire since 1955.

As for details of the wildfire, Tempe Fire Department spokesperson Mike Reichling said that the fire travelled rapidly until it was 2,000 acres wide. Due to the devastating effect, town residents have been evacuated by personnel of the Sheriff's Office and other fire departments from the state.

Reichling cannot proclaim yet that the wildfire is under control even though they have already around 200 firefighters, helicopters and jets who are working incessantly to put the fire down. Due to the immense effects of the fire, some of the houses in Yarnell have been engulfed by the fire and it is expected that around half of the town's homes might suffer the same fate. To add more problems, power went out due to rains but the fire ensued.

Residents of Yarnell were taken to a shelter at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. The Red Cross of Grand Canyon is already opening possible shelters for more evacuees. Families in 50 homes in the Buckhorn and Model Creek areas have already been evacuated and those in Peeples Valley might follow suit.

This wildfire prompted the Arizona Department of Transportation to close some parts of Route 89 for an indefinite period. The have also advised motorists to take Interstate 17 or the US 93 if they need to pass through the area.

Meanwhile, an unrelated wild fire of two acres wide was also blazing in Rye, Arizona which is about 130 miles east of Yarnell. The fire was said to have started in a motorcycle junk yard and has travelled to a trailer park. Five of the mobile homes in the park were destroyed but the Gila County Health and Emergency Services reported that no one got injured. Fire out was declared 12 hours after it started in an area along Highway 87.

In related news, the heat wave continues to be in effect as the National Weather Service recorded a temperature of 128 degrees in Death Valley National Park. This is a bit lower than the peak temperature of 129.9 degree recorded by National Park Service. Due to the intense heat, six half-marathon runners were hospitalized in Southern California due to heat-related sicknesses.

Other areas in California were not spelled by the heat as well. Palm Springs had a peak temperature of 122 degrees while Redding had a high of 110. Sacramento and Fresno peaked at 107 degrees and 109 degrees respectively.

Meanwhile, the temperature in Las Vegas reached 117 degrees and an elderly man whose residence did not have air conditioning was declared dead. In Utah, an interstate on-ramp buckled in Salt Lake City due to a 105-degree heat which stalled firefighters who were about to respond against three wildfires. Also, the peak temperature in metropolitan Phoenix reached 119 degrees. However, incoming monsoons could be a sign of relief for Phoenix residents but it can make the atmosphere more humid.