Summary More crew is headed to an out-of-control wildfire in Arizona that killed 19 elite firefighters.
YARNELL, Arizona (AP) - President Barack Obama says the deaths of 19 firefighters who died battling an Arizona wildfire are a heartbreaking reminder that emergency personnel put their lives on the line every day while rushing toward danger.
Obama, who spoke from Africa on Monday, added that America s thoughts and prayers go out to their families.
He said, quote, "We are heartbroken about what happened."
Obama says his administration is prepared to help Arizona investigate how the deaths happened.
He predicted the incident will force government leaders to answer broader questions about how they handle increasingly destructive and deadly wildfires.
The firefighters, members of an elite crew fighting a forest fire northwest of Phoenix, were overtaken Sunday by a fast-moving blazed fueled by hot winds. Some 200 homes also were destroyed.
On the meantime more crew members and a top-level management team are headed to an out-of-control wildfire in Arizona that killed 19 elite firefighters and destroyed much of a small town.
A total of 250 firefighters and support personnel were assigned to the fire in Yarnell as of Sunday.
Fire managers say another four Hotshot crews are on the way.
They typically have 20 members each.
The Daily Courier in Prescott reported that the fire had grown to 2,000 acres (800 hectares) by early Monday.
The lightning-sparked fire also destroyed 200 houses and sent hundreds fleeing from the town of about 700 residents about 85 miles (140 kilometers) northwest of Phoenix.
Spokesmen for fire managers did not immediately respond to requests for comment early Monday.
