The families of Arizona firefighters who died fighting wildfires in Arizona have asked a federal judge to stay their own lawsuit so they can pursue mediation with the State. The mediation proceedings will be conducted between the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) and the families of fifteen firefighters who lost their lives in the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fires. The families have prepared a list of 15 reforms they would like the State to adopt to protect firefighters in the future.

The fire at Yarnell Hill was started by a bolt of lightning in the summer of 2013. Ultimately, nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots firefighters were killed fighting the flames. The fire eventually destroyed nearly 130 buildings and burned across almost 8,500 acres of land.

Fifteen of the deceased firefighters’ families sued the Division of Forestry, claiming that the State was “recklessly indifferent” when it came to proper safety protocols. An investigation conducted by ADOSH supported these claims, finding several “serious” and “willful” violations of standard safety protocols. As a result of this investigation, the Arizona Industrial Commission fined the Forestry Division $559,000. The Forestry Division is appealing the fine.

The decision by the families to pause their lawsuit and enter mediation was made in the hopes of having the safety reforms in place faster. The families believe the state was more concerned about the costs involved in fighting the fire than in protecting the people, property, and firefighters themselves. The families have expressed a desire for answers and to get better protections in place for other firefighters as opposed to simply winning a lawsuit.