Last weekend I was on a hike with my wife at Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park in Arizona. There, we learned about the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots—the heroic firefighters who died on June 30, 2013, while fighting the fast-moving Yarnell Hill Fire.
As we hiked the five-mile trail, we soon noticed the metal plaques showcasing each brave hotshot—a next-level firefighter brought into the worst conditions—imbedded into large boulders every few hundred yards. Each plaque depicted an image, along with a story about the firefighter’s life. All the stories were poignant, but the one that most impacted us described Dustin DeFord.
A Hotshot for Heaven
Not only was Dustin a man of faith, but he was also a man on a mission.
Dustin graduated from Bible college and loved sharing the Gospel with others. As we read his story, we couldn’t help but wonder if he’d had the opportunity to share Jesus with his fellow firefighters before they lost their lives.
Soon after our visit, I discovered this profound comment posted by one of his close friends, Alexander Volkman:
On July 1, 2013, at about 8:30 a.m., I received a phone call from my friend Paul, who informed me that Dustin, along with 18 others in his hotshot crew, were killed in the Yarnell Fire in Arizona. I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. In the coming days, as the details came together and the reality of the situation settled in, I was hit hard by grief. I had dealt with that before, but this time it was different; this time it was a dear friend. Just a couple days after I heard the news, I learned that Dustin was able to share the Gospel with his entire crew only a week prior to that fire.
Every one of those brave firefighters heard the Gospel from Dustin, and hopefully, many said “yes” to Jesus as a result. Praise the Lord for Dustin’s faithfulness to evangelize his fellow firefighters!
A Model to Follow
Dustin DeFord’s example reminds us there is a fire burning hot and moving fast. These are the very fires of Hell nipping at the heels of those around us who don’t yet know Jesus.
Every second of every day, those fires threaten to consume our unreached friends, family, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and passersby risk being consumed by those fires. They need you to be the hotshot in their life, to boldly proclaim the hope of Jesus so they may hear the Good News and be saved.
May Dustin’s example of being a bold witness for Jesus inspire you to do the same.
