Town Hall Lecture Series–Brendan McDonough

Brendan McDonough was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he decided to turn his life around for the sake of his young daughter. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters short on crew members based in Prescott, AZ. On June 30, 2013, McDonough and his firefighter brothers confronted a freak, 3,000-degree inferno in nearby Yarnell, AZ. The relentless firestorm ultimately trapped his Hotshot brothers, sparing him, who served as a lookout. It was the most significant loss of firefighter lives since the 9/11 attacks.

After suffering from bouts of deep depression and PTSD, Brendan struggled to survive. But the family who needed him, his faith in God, and the memory of his brother’s sacrifice inspired him to keep living and pushed him to begin helping others.

Brendan’s memoir, My Lost Brothers: The Untold Story by the Yarnell Hill Fire’s Lone Survivor, was published in 2016. The book inspired the film Only the Brave, released in 2017.

Lectures begin at 10:30 a.m. at Prairie Heights Community Church, West Fargo. A Q & A session will follow. Doors open for seating at 10:00 a.m. Series tickets may be purchased at www.fargotownhall.org. Individual tickets are $40. All are welcome to attend.