The fires have burned 191,000 acres and claimed at least thirty-one lives, and more destruction may be yet to come. PHOENIX More than a year after 19 firefighters perished in the Yarnell Hill blaze, the crew's lone survivor purportedly made a shocking revelation: Granite Mountain Hotshots were ordered to. They left their safety zone in "the black," land that already had burned, and headed into a box canyon from which they could not escape when the fire roared in. Although supervisors "knew that supression of extremelyactive chaparral fuels was ineffective and that wind would push active fire towards non-defensible structures, firefighters working downwind were not promptly removed from exposure to smoke inhalation, burns and death by wind-driven wildland fire.". wildland firefighters lost on June 30, 2013, the piece reads. suspect, was the furthest thing from the filmmakers intentions. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The bell-ringing is a silent moment of reflection, and no public comments are planned.. "Our escape route has been cut off. The Granite Mountain Hotshots "were hardworking, well-trained, experienced people," Chief Fraijo said. But in Arizona, the Granite Mountain Hotshots' bodies were moved off the site within 24 hours. Did they ignore safety rules in their zest to help save the tiny town of Yarnell? A sign posted outside of the Prescott, Arizona, firehouse. Ad Choices, The Familial Furies of Noah Baumbachs The Meyerowitz Stories, Harvey Weinstein and the Illusion of the Vulgar But Passionate Old-Hollywood Studio Boss, The Wildfires Ravaging Northern California. but something troubled in their past shadows their daily lives. Juliann Ashcraft said she found out her firefighter husband, Andrew, was among the dead by watching the news with her four children. The Granite Mountain Hotshots were a crew within the Prescott Fire Department whose mission was to fight wildfires and when not so, engaged in work to reduce growth of fire-prone vegetation. "I'm discouraged with the report," said Larry Edwards, a hotshot and foreman since the early 1970s who retired as a superintendent in 2004 in Helena, Mont. Also unsatisfied is Turbyfill, who lost his only son. "People were violating the air space and taking photos the whole time," said Dave Turbyfill, whose son, Travis, died in the fire. Select from premium Granite Mountain Hotshot of the highest quality. The Granite Mountain Hotshots were supposed to be in a safety zone, which was an area that had already been . large, that are inseparable from the real-life story that it is telling. Hotshots are tasked with controlling towering, fast moving infernos with little more than chainsaws, shovels and drip torches. is itself merely a one-sidedly useful artifice. More than a year after 19 firefighters perished in the Yarnell Hill blaze, the crew's lone survivor purportedly made a shocking revelation: Granite Mountain Hotshots were ordered to leave. peoplewhite peoplego out of their way to help each other. Federal officials intended to replace the current fire shelter design following the deaths of 19 firefighters near Yarnell, Arizona in 2013. "We are in front of the flaming front," a member of the team reported during the frantic early stages of the recording. As one of the country's 110 Interagency Hotshot Crews, it was their job to. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office "did everything they would as with a crime scene," said Wade Ward, a former member of the hotshots team who now is public information officer for the Prescott Fire Department. The town has honored the Granite Mountain Hotshots with a unique tribute - a rugged hiking trail that climbs more than 1,000 feet up the side of the mountain where they died that day.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The tragedy all but wiped out the 20-member Granite Mountain Hotshots, a unit based at Prescott, authorities said Monday as the last of the bodies were retrieved from the mountain in the. in a plethora of details, but it never looks beyond the work life into The National Fire Protection Association website lists the last wildfire to kill more firefighters as the 1933 Griffith Park blaze in Los Angeles, which killed 29. The U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, state and county agencies sponsor more than 100 Interagency Hotshots Crews, with most located in the western United Only the But the Granite Mountain Hotshots "just deployed where they were," Putnam said. Only one Granite Mountain Hotshot survived the fire. It's still unclear exactly what happened to the 19 firefighters who died that day. political, as Fernanda Santos reported in 2014, in the Times. Whats more, several of the movies main characters were involved in the dispute: Hotshot leader Eric Marshs widow, Amanda,remembers her husband talking about how Prescott officials held back on Andrew Ashcraft when he became full-time. Much is made in The hikers photographed the hotshots resting that day and thought it must have been a prescribed burn because the crew wasn't doing anything. But a thunderstorm destroyed their efforts and put them suddenly in the center of a cloud of smoke and flames. I wonder if there was a nearby site where they could have deployed better and possibly survived. Among them were several other Hotshot teams, elite groups of firefighters sent in from around the country to battle the nation's fiercest wildfires. pregnant. If the fire quickly burns over you, you'll probably survive that," said Prescott Fire Capt. Brave is spare, clear, direct storytellingand the tightly bounded Some of the more vocal widows became the target of stinging criticism; in online forums and letters to the editors, people called them greedy, disgusting or worse. One crew member survived. offers a vision of sentimental unity for the common good in a town where yearning for a less complex and more homogeneous society that, I These are questions haunting wildfire professionals across the West, a community rocked by the unimaginable annihilation of a hotshot team known for being smart, hard-working and highly conscientious about safety. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report. form; as is, the nostalgic virtues of its classical storytelling, with June 30, 2013. The tragedy all but wiped out the 20-member Granite Mountain Hotshots, a unit based at Prescott, authorities said Monday as the last of the bodies were retrieved from the mountain in the town of Yarnell. Each firefighter will be in an individual hearse, accompanied by motorcycle escorts, honor guard members and American flags. Only the Brave ties the characters private lives to their work lives The Helms actually named their ranch "Not Muchuva Ranch.". that were being denied them, city officials fueled only hostility, Prescott City Councilman Len Scamardo said the wind changed directions and brought 40 mph to 50 mph gusts that caused the firefighters to become trapped around 3 p.m. Sunday. Two events, one virtual and one on the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza, were held to remember the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died seven years ago fighting the Yarnell Hill Wildfire. The Granite Mountain Hotshots weren't given maps or aerial diagrams when they reported for duty, and a safety officer wasn't available. belongs in a movie by dint of its chosen subject or characters. I've had enough of life': Grandmother, 86, is reduced to tears after killjoy Tory RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: As Florida governor and Donald Trump rival Ron DeSantis steps up his bid to win the Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers speaks out on his deep depression after chemotherapy which left him having 'How I snatched JK Rowling's baby out of her abusive husband's arms - and helped her flee with the Harry Top equestrian rider, 39, once known as the 'golden girl' of horse eventing, is facing jail after being A possum feared extinct is discovered by an amateur naturalist in Papa New Guinea being cooked on a Now California reparations panel RAISES amount it wants to give 1.8m black people from $220,000 to $360,000 My weekly horoscope: What will March 4th 2023 bring for MY star sign? The Yarnell Hill Fire was a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona, ignited by dry lightning on June 28, 2013. Putnam finally walked onto a ridge near the deployment site Nov. 15 with two hikers, Tex Gilligan and Joy Collura, who had been on Yarnell Hill on June 30. ', "If you don't have some of that training already, you don't understand.". They died heroes, she said, crying and wiping tears away from her eyes. All 19 firefighters killed yesterday in an uncontrollable Arizona wildfire were members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots from the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department. Only one member of the 20-person crew survived, and that was because he . The dollars in damages.) But while reporters, photographers, hotshots' family members, hotshot teams from elsewhere and many others have been taken to the site, Putnam's requests repeatedly have been rebuffed. Complete List of Names of Firefighters Killed in Arizona Wildfire Fraijo said the only member of the crew who was not killed by the inferno was on an assignment away from the incident. Yet as I The movie ASHLEY SMITH TIMES-NEWS David Turbyfill, whose son, Travis, was a member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and died in the Yarnell Hill Fire, talks Oct. 17, 2013, about the need for a better . 'It was a zero-visibility situation,' Knotek said. The tragedy Sunday evening all but wiped out the 20-member Granite Mountain Hotshots, a unit based in the small town of Prescott, Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said as the last of the bodies were . Lee Helm just foundmaintenanceeasier without a lot of weeds, bushes and trees. Granite Mountain Hotshots team leader Eric Marsh radioed through to let his commanders know the group had a predetermined safety zone. wildfire-fighting outfit in Prescott, Arizona, thats relegated to Type On Thursday, the true story of those men who fought on the front lines premiered across the United States. he said, before radio transmissions from the scene fell silent. Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo later confirmed that all 19 were from the Granite Mountain Hotshots. nonfiction account in GQ by Sean Flynn (and co-produced by Cond Nast employment status of the men under his command than it does for the Most of the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew, only one of whom survived the blaze, were in their 20s. . If you're judging by the timeline, it's a piece of crap report. received by the families of permanent or full-time employees. "They were trying to protect the sanctity of that site, of our guys," Ward said. "I'm sort of surprised you don't understand.". Grant McKee hangs on a fence outside the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew fire station, Tuesday, July 2, 2013 in Prescott, Ariz. McKee was one of 19 members of the Granite Mountain . I think he just wanted to keep his crew working. and turned up an entire realm of activity thats integral to their lives It was the nation's biggest loss of firefighters since 9/11. Granite Mountain attends a fire briefing meeting at Yarnell Fire Station. The deaths of the Granite Mountain Hotshots marked the nation's biggest loss of firefighters in a wildfire in 80 years. "Ma'am," he said. "City and wildland fires -- it's a whole different business. There is no such ranch. "If you realize your cultural biases get you to take higher risk to protect property, hopefully you get on the phone to say, 'This is what I want to do (next on the fire). "Eric Marsh was a good foreman. and exemplary a vision of contemporary American life as the tale of the Dec. 15--YARNELL, Ariz. -- Nineteen Granite Mountain Hotshots died in the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30 for no good reason. PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) Gov. "I know that it is unbearable for many of you, but it also is unbearable for me. unit. "I'm not surprised there was no criticism of the incident commander. "When you see death racing toward you, it's hard to do your best thinking.". This is the place for a spoiler alert, which, however, wont be a spoiler He was very upset with the city. Jim Cook, a 37-year wildfires veteran, spent 18 years as a hotshot crew superintendent and 14 years coordinating training projects for the U.S. Forest Service at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise before he recently retired. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. All rights reserved. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Just one of the hotshots on the crew survivedhe was posted as a lookout on the fire and was not with the others when the fire overtook them. Market data provided by Factset. That's a last-ditch effort to save yourself when you deploy your shelter.". during previous hearings where benefits were awarded to three other mothers house. More: Granite Mountain Hotshots: An untold story from the day 19 firefighters died. They had only moments left to take cover in foil-lined fire-protection bags carried by each man and to hope for the best. truths offscreen in the interest of a so-called mainstream. Flag-topped shovels with the names of the Granite Mountain Hotshots on their blades were a grim reminder of the tragedy that occurred two years ago as residents gathered June 28 for the. As a last resort, firefighters are supposed to step into the shelters, lie face down on the ground and pull the fire-resistant fabric completely over themselves. . The crew died as they were overrun by flames in a. ", Romer, standing nearby, introduced himself and asked if there were a problem. Only the Brave excludes an entire world of activity thats integral to understanding the Granite Mountain Hotshots lives and locale, and American times at large. Offers may be subject to change without notice. (Some The action of Only the Brave is centered on Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin), Nineteen of the 20 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots perished Sunday, fighting a fierce wilderness fire outside the old gold-mining village of Yarnell, 35 miles southwest of here. The Yarnell Hill Fire is the sixth-deadliest American firefighter disaster in history and the deadliest wildfire ever in the state of Arizona, and until 2014, the wildfire was the most-publicized event in wildland firefighting history. The battles that the It's not known how powerful the winds were, but they were enough to cause the fire to grow in size from 200 acres to about 2,000 in a matter of hours Sunday. Meanwhile, Prescott officials were working to retool the city's traditional over-the-top Independence Day celebration in the wake of the tragedy. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. out can be far more revealing than what they choose to include. The deaths plunged the two small towns into mourning as the wildfire continued to threaten one of them, Yarnell. Before the end: Firefighter Andrew Ashcraft send this picture of members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots to his wife, Juliann, shortly before all 19 men were killed, 'Unfortunately, the conditions they were in were not survivable.'. yet is excluded from the movie, and that is at least as interesting The full 122-page report can be found here. (Of course, he and Donut The team was known for working on the front lines of region's worst fires, including two this season that came before, MyFoxPhoenix.com reported. June 30, 2022 marks nine years since 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire. The site it self is difficult to actually get to because although on public land it is surrounded by private land. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. surviving family members also sued the town for three hundred million The couple hunkered down inside their house. unified in its grief and mourninginto open conflict. Cari Gerchick, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office in Phoenix, said the Hotshots died from burns, carbon monoxide poisoning or oxygen deprivation, or a combination. casually, just a few minutes click-around) at news about the Hotshots Entertainment), of the real-life activities of the Granite Mountain 19 elite firefighters killed in fast-moving wildfire. By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. How Prince Harry's chat with guru who compared Hamas terrorists to Jews who battled the Nazis has appalled JAN MOIR: Goodbye Ken, the world always seemed safer with you on the airwaves, Abstaining from masturbating RAISES risk of anxiety, depression and erectile dysfunction, study warns. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Juliann Ashcraft, the spouse of the late firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, Dec. 15--YARNELL, Ariz. -- Nineteen Granite Mountain Hotshots died in the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30 for no good reason. "The concept of 'leader's intent' comes into play here," Edwards wrote. Many of the residents were red-eyed, and listened with their hands over their mouths. A memorial service planned for Tuesday is expected to draw thousands of mourners, including the families of the firefighters. And well miss them. 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. (Forrest Fyre), and Eric is authorized to seek Type 1 certification for The autopsies were performed on Tuesday; more detailed autopsy reports should be released in three months, pending lab work. The Arizona Industrial Commission fined the Arizona State Forestry Division $559,000 for workplace safety violations stemming from the fire. "Our work is not done," Gerchick said. stirring dramatization, directed by Joseph Kosinski, based on a "Wildland firefighters are there to control 'em, not put 'em out. firefighters courage and self-sacrifice. 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 . The Helms never saw the Granite Mountain Hotshots on the day they died andnever knew thecrew was working nearby. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. YARNELL, Ariz. (AP) -- As the windblown blaze suddenly swept toward them, an elite crew of firefighting "hotshots" desperately rushed to break out their emergency shelters and take cover on the ground under the foil-lined fabric. ", Theirranch was identified on fire maps and later in books and magazine articles about the Yarnell Hill Fire as "Boulder Springs Ranch." Most granite is very stain resistant and does not "require" sealing. ", Copyright 2013 - The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho, https://www.linkedin.com/company/firehouse-magazine. That doesn't give them the wherewithal to make more complex decisions.". Butthe metal roofs and stucco walls protected the buildings. However, sealing is an added precaution, and many. 'The only thing standing between those folks and those homes were these 19 guys up on that ridge,' Jeff Knotek, who retired as Prescott Fire Department Captain on Sunday, said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Residents huddled in shelters and restaurants, watching their homes burn on TV as flames lit up the night sky in the forest above the town. Hotshots also tend to be youngthe average age of the Granite Mountain crew is 27, a number skewed by Marsh, who's 43and few of them make a long career out of it. A photo of one of the 19 Granite Mountain Hot Shot crew members who was killed fighting a wild land fire near Yarnell, Ariz. on Sunday, sits at a makeshift memorial outside the crew's fire station, Monday, July 1, 2013 in Prescott, Ariz. An out-of-control blaze overtook the elite group of firefighters trained to battle the fiercest wildfires, killing 19 members as they tried to protect themselves from the flames under fire-resistant shields. A long-term drought affecting the area contributed to the fire's rapid spread and erratic behavior, as did temperatures of 101 F. Make a gift of any amount today to support this resource for everyone. 19 Arizona firefighters were killed by a fast-moving wildfire in 2013. The newspaper started the project to honor Idahoans killed 20 years ago in a wildfire in Colorado. Here's what the movie gets right and wrong, Hiking where the Granite Mountain Hotshots fell, Along Yarnell Hill's scrubby trails and rough ridges, a park to honor the Granite Mountain Hotshots, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Officials Reveal Last Words Of Granite Mountain Hotshots In Deadly Arizona Wildfire Last Words Revealed In Arizona Blaze That Killed 19 Firefighters Reuters Dec 16, 2013, 06:58 PM EST | Updated Feb 16, 2014 The fenced in site is where 19 firefighters died battling an Arizona wildfire on June 30th is shown Tuesday, July 23, 2013 in Yarnell, Ariz. The blaze grew from 200 acres to about 2,000 in a matter of hours. But they were suddenly caught in a dense cloud of smoke and flames. When you don't seal your countertops, they tend to quickly absorb food and liquids, leading to deep stains. Find Granite Mountain Hotshot stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. A team of forest managers and safety experts is investigating what went wrong and plan to release some initial findings by the weekend. All rights reserved. The biggest loss of firefighters in U.S. history was 343, killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York. '," veteran hotshot Edwards said. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. In this April 12, 2012 photo provided by the Cronkite News, Granite Mountain Hotshots crew members train on setting up emergency fire shelters outside of . The Granite Mountain Hotshots' bodies were moved off the site within 24 hours. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. He predicted the tragedy will force government leaders to answer broader questions about how they handle increasingly destructive and deadly wildfires. Sept. 30, 2013 <br>WASHINGTON -- The tragedy of the Granite Mountain Hotshots has renewed attention to the dwindling federal resources to fight a growing number of forest fires, even though an . YARNELL, AZ - We are now learning more about what happened on June 30 when 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots deployed from Prescott, Ariz. died while battling the Yarnell Hill Fire. Sunday's tragedy raised questions of whether the crew should have been pulled out much earlier and whether usual precautions would have made any difference in the face of triple-digit temperatures, erratic winds and dry conditions that caused the fire to explode. They learn that the Helm's Boulder Springs Ranch is a bombproof safety . The tragedy Sunday evening all but wiped out the 20-member Granite Mountain Hotshots, a unit based in the small town of Prescott, Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said as the last of the bodies were retrieved from the mountain. watched the movie, I felt that something was missing (including the and raises be delayed for another year because of what the deaths had Prescott resident Keith Gustafson showed up and placed 19 water bottles in the shape of a heart. They were up here (in Idaho) fighting fires last year; it's a good crew. The hotshots themselves failed to ensure they had escape routes, a readily available safety zone and a lookout, and they didn't report their movement into the canyon to their superiors, as required, the report says. And only nine days before they fought the Yarnell Hill Fire, they had been lauded as heroes for saving 465 evacuated homes in the Prescott area. Emergency crews desperately tried to save the men after the winds changed. decisions that go into the composition and the telling of stories have a Link chain is hung in a heart shape to honor the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters who died fighting a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona is hung. On June 30, firefighters with the Prescott Fire Department's interagency called the Granite Mountain Hotshots were overrun and killed by the fire. Fire officials at first considered sending a helicopter to remove the 19 firefighters. "You've got to be brutal on the investigation on everybody involved," said Chris Cuoco, a meteorologist and Air Force veteran who teaches fire behavior classes in Grand Junction, Colo. "The Air Force, when they do it right (on a crash investigation), find out a problem with the airplane, training, pilot performance.". In 2017, Columbia Pictures released a film adaptation of the Yarnell Hill tragedy in 2017, titled Only the Brave starring Taylor Kitsch, Josh Brolin, and Jeff Bridges. They loaded up what belongings they could, including three dogs and a 1930 hot rod, on a trailer. Jeff Knotek. When some of the widows sought the benefits "It's an extreme measure that's taken under the absolute worst conditions," Fraijo said. June 30 was a Sunday, a normal Sunday for me in the summer. The report "didn't look at anything organizationally or culturally," said Putnam, who has worked on many SAIRs during his career. influence.). The National Fire Protection Association website lists the last wildland fire to kill more firefighters as the 1933 Griffith Park fire of Los Angeles, which killed 29. The Sheriff's Office said it wouldn't let him in unless he got permission from the Lands Department, but those people said they would have to be ordered to do so. Soon after that, they headed downhill into a narrow box canyon that was smothered with dense, 10-foot-high chaparral. Sometimes they hike for miles into the wilderness with heavy gear to build lines of protection between people and fires. Newly-released video reveals the chaotic moments before 19 'hotshot' firefighters were killed in Arizona wildfire. They met a wall of flames It came around and hooked them. Granite Mountain Hotshots team leader. 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. Those words, documented in transcripts newly released by state forestry officials, marked what is believed to be the final transmission from the 19 "hotshot" crew members killed in the June 30 disaster, the greatest loss of life from a U.S. wildfire in 80 years. Why didn't the fire shelters workIJ. complained that she was being denied benefits; soon others did so, too. It's two whole different worlds. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Southwest incident team leader Clay Templin said the crew and its commanders were following safety protocols, and it appears the fire's erratic nature simply overwhelmed them. couples stifled conflicts burst forth with some trenchant writing "Eric Marsh wasn't trained (as a division superintendent)," Cook noted. 'Our story is one of hope': Conjoined twins who made history as first EVER pair survive to separation As Charles Bronson faces a parole hearing on Monday Will Britain's most violent prisoner soon be painting Is this Britain's most despicable man? Eric, for his part, is in a Reach the reporter at 602-444-8072 or anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com. The original investigation report repeatedly states: "Nobody will ever know.". Erics is his In a statement, Gov. the outfit see him as physically and mentally unfit (they give him the Vandals, something of that sort," said Bill Boyd, the department's legislative policy administrator. William Warneke, 25, of the Granite Mountain Hotshots was among the 19 firefighters who died Sunday battling the Yarnell Hill Fire in in Prescott, Ariz. Arizona Gov. Structural firefighters are trained to put fires out.". That's an important story to tell.". Arizona Forestry Division spokesman Mike Reichling said all 19 victims had deployed their shelters. delivered with familiar histrionics.) Legal Statement. "We need to get back in here. Realizing the men were in jeopardy, operations officials asked air support teams to contact the embattled crew. Of course, the veteransthe. To me, the worst has already happened. As the blaze spread, people started fleeing, including Chuck Overmyer and his wife, Ninabill. "Until we get a significant showing of the monsoons, it's show time and it's dangerous, really dangerous," incident commander Roy Hall said. "All he said was, 'We might have bad news. Distractify is a registered trademark. But his voice was very calm: "We're deploying. stirring, effective, patriotic propaganda for a picture of America that They hid inside their single-story home as flameand embers raced over.