Nineteen firefighters battling a blaze in Arizona who were unaccounted for Sunday night have been confirmed dead.
A spokesman with Prescott Fire Department confirmed the grim news. All 19 were members of a "Hotspot" crew, tasked with digging a fire line and creating an escape route.
It was not immediately clear how they died. The crew was fighting the Yarnell Hill fire, which broke out Friday Northwest of Phoenix. The fire has grown to 6,000 acres, damaged more than 100 buildings and forced the evacuations of residents in the communities of Peeples and Yarnell.
The blaze is believed to have been started by lightning. Not counting the 19 deaths reported in Arizona, the U.S. Fire Administration says there have been 43 firefighters fatalities reported so far in 2013.