Lawsuit Accuses Arizona of Mismanaging Deadly Wildfire

Dozens of property owners in central Arizona are suing the state, saying it failed miserably in its management of a wildfire that killed 19 Hotshots. The lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court seeks unspecified damages for emotional distress, property loss and loss of income. The more than 160 plaintiffs also are seeking protections for firefighters such as the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who were overrun by flames while battling the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013. The lawsuit comes a week before the one-year anniversary of their deaths. The lightning-sparked wildfire destroyed 127 homes in and around Yarnell and scorched 13 square miles before it was fully contained on July 10.