19 Hotshots Memorial frame

We were recently approached by Donna from Whiskers Barkery in downtown Prescott to frame a very special photo. This photo, of one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots buggies with fallen hotshot Eric Marsh’s dog and boot on the bumper has an important meaning for those of us who live in Prescott, Yarnell and the surrounding communities. You see, on June 30th 2013 we lost 19 of our brave firefighters in a wildfire near Yarnell that caught them undefended. We miss them still…  So, along with Donna and Whiskers Barkery, we wanted to make a fitting 19 Hotshots Memorial frame from The Frame & I to display and preserve this precious photograph.  Firefighters from all over the southwestern USA will see it at the Arizona Wildfire Academy at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University over the next few days. It’s at the Eric Marsh Foundation’s booth. We are hoping for a successful and educational Academy this year, as well as a lot of support for the Foundation.

Eric Marsh’s dog and boot on the back of a Granite Mountain Hotshots buggy. The last fire that the heroic Granite Mountain Hotshots successfully fought was the Doce Fire at Granite Mountain Wilderness, pictured in the background.

The 19 Hotshots Memorial frame is framed in Angus faux leather and reclaimed wood, with the names of the 19 fallen hand tooled into the top and bottom panels. Tiny clavos (nails) adorn the frame to add a rustic element and to unify the design. All work done at The Frame and I. Framing it was a team effort between Francine Hackerott and Ida Woll (although Francine did the lion’s share of the work with the hand tooling). The photo is courtesy of Donna at Whiskers Barkery.

We’ve donated this frame at Donna’s request, to the Eric Marsh foundation, whose mission  “is a non-profit organization created to support survivors of wildland line-of-duty deaths as well as living wildland firefighters”. They have brought a great good out of a terrible tragedy, and for this we are so inspired and thankful to them.

Detail showing the upper left corner of the 19 Hotshots Memorial Frame

With hard work, perseverance, community support and a little luck, the foundation will sell copies of this wonderful photograph to raise money to continue its good work supporting the survivors of wildland firefighting related loss, as well as living wildland firefighters. Are you inspired? You can donate here. A big thank you to the foundation, and to Donna from Whiskers Barkery, for all of your awesomeness. We are honored to have been included in this project and we hope our work honors those we’ve lost.

Detail of the caption in the photo, puppy, and the tooled leatherwork on the bottom panel. Francine tooled the names in letter by letter, by hand.

Detail of the lower right corner shows the boot, which inspired the leather look of the frame; and the nailhead detail.

In our hearts forever. We thank God for those who serve and protect us, every day.

Thank you for reading!

Ida Woll