While going through the NMBR wildland photo archives last night, I came across this image. It’s of a member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots taken last spring in Glenwood, NM. I was covering the Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire and had driven into the small mountain town for fuel and supplies. The Granite Mountain Hotshots crew pulled into the filling station after finishing a 16-hour shift on the fire. After unloading, some went in the station, some wandered off with their phones in hand, while the rest of the crew gathered around a picnic table. The brotherhood was immediately apparent as the crew joked around and recounted the day’s events. Although the Glenwood "end of day" scene is like many others I’ve witnessed before—exhausted faces, soot stained Nomex and un-faded camaraderie—it will not be forgotten. The Granite Mountain Hotshots, who made the ultimate sacrifice in their service, passed on doing what they love. 

Excerpt from The Firefighter's Prayer - "And if, according to my fate, I am to lose my life/Please bless with your protecting hand my children and my wife” 

Photo: Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crewmember Robert Caldwell | Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire (2012) | Glenwood, NM | ©JakeQuiñones/NMBR