Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo is leaving his position with the department, which came under intense scrutiny following the deaths of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died battling the Yarnell Hill Fire, reports azcentral.com.
Fraijo informed the world of the disaster at a June 30 news conference, speaking in a halting voice that reflected the shock and emotion felt by the close-knit brotherhood of firefighters. Fraijo told The Arizona Republic his last day on the job will be Nov. 15.
The Prescott Fire Department oversaw the nation’s only city-run Type 1 hotshot crew.
It is unclear what is prompting the departure of Fraijo, a familiar face around town. An investigative report released a week ago on the wildfire found “no indication of negligence, reckless actions, or violations of policy or protocol” on the part of the firefighters, and concluded the fire that overtook the men was not survivable.
In the months since the tragedy, however, a rift between some city officials and the Fire Department became increasingly evident. In an earlier interview with The Republic, the mayor alluded to tension between city officials and the area’s fire union.
On Friday night, Prescott Mayor Marlin Kuykendall would not answer detailed questions about Fraijo’s exit, saying city officials would release information about it on Monday.
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