Only the Brave

Great movie, one of two movies I've scene in theaters that felt like I was leaving a funeral when it was over, the other being American Sniper.

Saw it in theaters and said it was the best movie I had seen all year and the movie Whalberg had been trying to make (and often failing) for the last 8-10 yes.....it's a great, powerful, yet understated film. That Dierks Bentley song and the montage that plays at the end is still haunting...

Absolutely no reason this film shouldn't have garnered a best picture nomination and perhaps even a best director nod...shame it wasn't seen by more people and didn't get the recognition lesser films did.

Was surprised when ii was one of the only ones on the board to have it ranked in my top 5 for the year. Went in not knowing the true story and the ending crushed my soul

Watched it last night.

Great movie.

Brolin was awesome

That closing montage really hits you in the feels

My only complaint with it was Jeff Bridges was a little over the top with his character

The last act was absolutely soul crushing. Every element. The survivor's guilt, the wife's reaction, the families.

So many supporting roles gave stellar performances that perfectly hit the tone.

Was that what happened in real life though?

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Was that what happened in real life though?

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No one knows for sure.

Marsh had a couple of frick ups from the investigation REPORT I read last night

The main one was that he didn’t have a lookout once they moved from the black and started making their way toward that ranch to rengage the fire.. That is suppose to be a huge no no and one of the orders that he was having Teller recite from time to time, (like when he was in the ER for the snake bite)

(Page 39 discusses the 10 standard firefighting orders and how granite mountain followed or didn’t follow each one)




Also read this review of that above report

LINK

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There is a 33-minute period of time during which nobody is sure where the Granite Mountain crew was or why they made the decisions they made. From 1604 to 1637 hrs, there is no record of Granite Mountain's status. The Team noted three phases worthy of discussion related to that block of time:

Phase 1: Their movement southeast, down the two-track road from the lunch spot, beginning at approximately 1604 hrs. At this point Granite Mountain left the black. It is not clear why they chose this option, considering the alternatives, but the best guess is that they did so to position themselves for the opportunity to re-engage in a seemingly more relevant role later in the fire.

Phase 2: Their descent from the two-track road through a box canyon toward Boulder Springs Ranch. From where they chose to descend off the ridge, many people commented that the Ranch appeared much closer than it actually was. Perhaps they chose to leave the two-track road because it looked like that would be a quicker route through the unburned brush in the box canyon. Although their ultimate goal remains unclear, one can guess that their intent was to get to the Boulder Springs Ranch.

Phase 3: At some point in their descent off the two-track road, their view of the fire became totally obstructed by a ridge and boulder pile to the northeast. During this time they were also unable to see changes in the smoke column, wind direction, fire spread and fire intensity. Once they reached a small opening in the brush, they most likely realized that the fire had rapidly pushed to the south, and that the flaming front had cut off their escape route from the box canyon. At that point the only viable option was to try to survive by deploying their fire shelters. We know they were preparing for shelter deployment at approximately 1640 hrs.

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Conclusions

Due to the lack of information about what happened during those critical 33 minutes, it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify concrete lessons learned from the actions of the Granite Mountain crew. The Team did not want to draw conclusions based on speculation in a matter this important, where highly trained, experienced firefighters made decisions that resulted in their deaths. It is easy to say their decision to leave the black was a poor one, but we say this knowing only the end result, not all the factors that influenced that decision. In examining the information that was obtained related to the fire, however, the Team was able to draw some general conclusions that might improve firefighter safety in the future:

1. The Yarnell Hill area was prime for fire because of the extreme drought it had been experiencing, combined with an increased fuel load (due to the lack of wildfire for more than 45 years). By promoting fuels management, safer conditions might be ensured, even during a drought.

2. Many structures in the area were not defendable. Principles such as those in the Ready, Set, Go! and Firewise programs could guide homeowners in creating fire-resistant homes and communities.

3. The fire's complexity was rapidly changing, resulting in frequent transitions. As an example, the fire went from a Type 4 to a Type 1 IMT in a period of 20 hours. Increased care must be taken during the transitional phases as they are widely known to be dangerous and to increase the "fog of war."

4. The Granite Mountain crew had been watching the fire all day long, but as they descended off the two-track road, they lost sight of the fire and all of the indicators of directional and intensity changes. Because their lookout had (rightly) moved, they were lacking a lookout and proper situational awareness. This confirms the importance of ensuring proper lookouts, communications, escape routes and safety zones (LCES).

5. The Team found nothing to indicate that there was a specific reason for the Granite Mountain crew to leave the black, but concluded that they perceived no increased risk by moving toward Boulder Creek Ranch. It can only be guessed that they did so in an attempt to re-engage elsewhere. Everyone who provided information in the investigation reported being confused about the whereabouts of the Granite Mountain crew, and most thought they were safely in the black until the report of their deployment. The importance of following through with assignments, or communicating the inability to follow through, cannot be overestimated.

6. Granite Mountain was a fully qualified, staffed and trained hotshot crew per the Standards for Interagency Hotshot Crew Operations. Everyone was working within their scope of duty.

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Damn, never saw any of that stuff. I had heard that some people blamed Marsh but didn't know that some evidence could exist of what made them leave the safe area.

I've heard the radio communication between Marsh and command(I think it was command) when granite mountain was preparing a deployment site and you could tell he knew they were in trouble.

Finally watched this. It is very good. Probably the best "over-looked" movie of 2017.

Very re-watchable in my opinion.