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Nearly 2,000 mourners gathered at a sports hall in Prescott, Arizona for a memorial service honouring 19 elite firefighters who died battling a wildfire. Friends and relatives of the members of Granite Mountain Hot Shots wept and hugged as they paid tribute to the men, who were aged between 21 and 43.

They were trapped by flames on Sunday as they fought a raging blaze near the town of Yarnell. They had rushed to cover themselves in foil-lined heat-resistant tarpaulins, but these could not save their lives. Only one man survived, because he was moving the truck.

It was the highest death toll for a fire crew in a single incident since 9/11.

At the sports hall at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University yesterday, local congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick said one firefighter was a family member by marriage, adding: “We are gathered today because we are overwhelmed by grief. We don’t know what to do but come together. As our hearts begin to heal, I hope we will be inspired by that phrase, ‘There’s nothing stronger than the heart of the firefighter.’”

Arizona governor Jan Brewer called it “as dark a day as I can remember” and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast. She said: “I know it is unbearable for many of you, it also is unbearable for me. I know the pain that everyone is trying to overcome.” A line of white vans carried the bodies to Phoenix, where post-mortem examinations will be carried out. The procession was given an honour guard.

One victim, Billy Warneke, 25, had been expecting his first child. Chris MacKenzie, 30, and Kevin Woyjeck, 21, had followed in their fathers’ footsteps to become firefighters. Barack Obama, on a visit to Africa, phoned Ms Brewer to offer condolences, saying: “We are heartbroken about what happened.”

He said there would be a reassessment of how large wildfires are handled. The lightning-sparked blaze continued to rage today, with 200 more firefighters brought in, bringing the total force to about 400, including other Hot Shot teams. It has engulfed 8,400 acres, destroyed about 50 homes and threatened 250 others in and around Yarnell, north-west of Phoenix. State officials are investigating how the firefighters became trapped. Prescott City councilman Len Scamardo said the wind changed direction and brought 40-50mph gusts at about 3pm on Sunday. The blaze grew from 200 acres to about 2,000 in a matter of hours. The emergency shelters reflect heat for a few minutes while a wildfire burns over a person, but cannot protect against a prolonged inferno.