Eric Marsh

Eric Shane Marsh (born 9-29-69 in North Carolina) was the Superintendent of the Granite Mountain Hot Shots.  He died along with 18 of his crew members on June 30th, 2013 while fighting the Yarnell Hill fire.  Eric was passionate about wildland firefighting.  He joined the City of Prescott Fire Department in 2003, as part of the fuels management crew, and worked to build the only municipally-sponsored hot shot crew in the nation. He came from the federal side, working as a hot shot and on engines in Arizona. Eric was instrumental in creating the Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy and taught S130/190 classes. Eric only ever wanted to teach S130/190 because its the newbies class that launches careers in wildland fire. Eric believed that was the most influential role he could have at academy. He served 23 years in the fire service, protecting land, property and most importantly, human life.  He loved being a Hot Shot and loved his crew like family.  He will be forever missedEric was so full of life.  He wanted to do everything and he did.  He competed in 12 and 24 hour endurance mountain bike races through the desert.  He rode and raced Harley motorcycles. He rock climbed, ice climbed, and mountaineered.  He surfed, he skied, and he ran.  In his last years he competed in road bike races, too.  He loved pushing his body; he felt great freedom in physical endurance.Eric had so much talent as a horseman.  He whispered to horses and they did whatever he wanted.  He was so gifted.  He loved his mount Shorty and he spent a lot of time in the saddle roaming around the grasslands and mountains of Yavapai County.Eric was so proud of his southern roots.  He had a patch on his leather motorcycle vest that read: American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God.  He was reared in Jefferson, North Carolina.  Eric was the only child of John and Jane Marsh who moved to Prescott Valley, Arizona to be near him about six years before he died.  Eric was the light of their lives.Eric was an awesome man.  Someone to emulate.  It is my hope his death, and the deaths of his 18 comrades, will serve as examples of how to truly and deeply live. They are still changing the world, they continue to change mine everyday.-Amanda Marsh