Renton Police Officer Loses Brother in Arizona Fire, Starts Online Fund to Support Families

As the fire near Phoenix, Ariz., that claimed the lives of 19 firefighters Sunday continues to burn uncontrolled, the victims' loved ones are coming to grips with their loss.

Among them is Renton K-9 Officer Cassidy Steed, originally from Arizona, who Monday issued a statement regarding the death of his brother, 36-year-old Jesse Steed:

It is with great sadness that I learned of my brother Jesse's death yesterday. He was the captain of the Granite Mountain Hot Shot Fire Fighters Team for the last two years and was tragically lost during the Yarnell Hill wildfires in Arizona.
36 year-old Jesse Steed served in the Marine Corps from 1996-2000, and then became a firefighter for Prescott, Arizona that year. He joined the local Hot Shot crew around 2002 and then came on with the Granite Mountain Hot Shots around 03-04 when they were established. He was the most senior member of their team in both age and skill.

Jesse has always put his life on the line for people who he knew he would never meet. He sacrificed time with his family and his own personal interests. Jesse loved his job very much as his family supported him with every sacrifice he made for it. He is survived by his wife Desiree and two children, Caden (4) and Cambria (3), his sister Taunya Steed, brother Levi Federwisch and myself Cassidy Steed. Our mother, Claudia Steed was taken from us 25 years ago and we find some comfort knowing that he is resting with her now.

All of Jesse's crew also gave the ultimate sacrifice. Now there are 19 families who are as grief-stricken and numb from their recent loss as I am. No amount of money will ever replace that brother, father, husband, loved one or friend. As I'm driving down to Arizona I am feeling a complete sense of helplessness, so I enlisted a coworker and friend, Tracie Jarratt, to set up a fund to split equally amongst the 19 families. The average age of the men who were lost is only 22 years old. I can only hope we can make even the smallest difference for those spouses and young children who are now left to face this.

You can help donate to the families by going to gofundme.com/3gan7g. The link will take you directly to the donation site for the fallen officers. Or you can access it from just using gofundme.com and searching "RIP 19 Hotshots."

Respectfully,
Cassidy Steed