Brendan McDonough
Founder, Holdfast Recovery
The only member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots to come home from the Yarnell Hill Fire. Nineteen men went up the hill on 30 June 2013. He was the lookout.
- Got clean from heroin for the sake of his daughter, then joined the crew
- Served as lookout at Yarnell, Arizona, on 30 June 2013
- Portrayed in the 2017 film about the crew, Only the Brave
- Built Holdfast because trauma was the part nobody treated first
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The story
Granite Mountain, Yarnell, and What Came After
The part that made the news is the fire. The part he talks about now is the decade afterwards.
- Before
A heroin addiction and a daughter
He was close to losing everything to heroin when his daughter was born. Getting clean and getting hired were the same decision, taken in the same year.
- 2011
Granite Mountain Hotshots
Superintendent Eric Marsh took a chance on an unlikely recruit after four hotshots left the crew. The men he had to win over became the men he called brothers.
- 30 June 2013
Yarnell Hill
He was posted as lookout, away from the crew, when the fire turned. All nineteen of the others were killed within minutes. He was the only member of the crew to survive that day.
- After
Survivor guilt, and a relapse
What followed was the part he talks about now rather than the part that made the news: the guilt, the PTSD, the years he did not want to be here, and the long climb back.
- Now
Holdfast Recovery
He built the program he needed and could not find: trauma treated first, faith treated as the reason rather than the decoration, and men in a room who have carried something.
The crew called him Donut. Nineteen of them were killed within minutes near Yarnell, Arizona, in one of the worst losses of firefighters in United States history, and he was the one posted away from them when the fire turned.
Why Holdfast Treats Trauma First
Getting sober was never his hard part. Staying alive afterwards was. He went looking for a program that would treat the thing underneath and found places that would treat the drinking and hand the rest to somebody else.
So he built one. Men here have direct access to him, which alumni raise more often than any clinical feature, and the room usually has veterans and first responders in it.
In the press
His story has been covered by CBS, CNN, TIME, People, ABC and Fox, and the 2017 film Only the Brave tells the crew’s.
As seen on
Tap any logo to read a little of the story, here on this page.
- Who is Brendan McDonough?
- The founder of Holdfast Recovery, and the only member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots to survive the Yarnell Hill Fire on 30 June 2013. He was serving as the crew’s lookout, posted away from the others, when the fire turned and killed all nineteen of them. Before that he was a young man getting clean from heroin for the sake of his daughter.
- What happened at the Yarnell Hill Fire?
- On 30 June 2013 the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew based in Prescott, Arizona, were overrun by a fire that turned on them near Yarnell. Nineteen men died within minutes. It remains one of the worst losses of firefighters in United States history. Brendan was the lookout that day and the only member of the crew who came home.
- Is he the man in Only the Brave?
- Yes. The 2017 film tells the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and he is one of the men portrayed in it. He has spoken publicly about the crew and about what came after for years since.
- What does he do at Holdfast now?
- He built it and he is in it. Men in the program have direct access to him, which is unusual and is one of the things alumni raise most. The clinical work is run by the clinical team; what he brings is the part no credential covers.
- Why does the program treat trauma first?
- Because he knows what happens when it is not. Getting sober was never his hard part; staying alive after Yarnell was. NeuroFaith™, the model the program runs on, exists because treating the substance without treating what is underneath it is what sends men back out still carrying it.
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Call (928) 378-3599What men say
Reviewed by the Men Who Did the Work
98 reviews on Google
I was hesitant on coming to this facility, but I'm very glad I did. It definitely enforces the guidelines for building a structured life while having some freedom to still feel like a person. The camaraderie and brothers you make here helped with my recovery exponentially. The staff and therapists at Holdfast take your issues and needs to heart and assist to the best of their abilities.
Alec ReddingVerified Google reviewHoldfast was instrumental in getting my loved one on the road to recovery. Very thankful for the faith based approach while also applying expertise in the field of addiction and recovery. A wonderful ratio of providers to patients for one on one therapy and support. My loved one left after completing a 90 day program with a plan, community and a sponsor. A new lease on life! Our biggest thanks to Holdfast and prayers for the success of your future clients.
Dana KaupieVerified Google reviewHoldFast is a place where God restored me from the inside out. It’s more than a recovery program, it’s a Christ-centered brotherhood that helped me rebuild my life on solid ground. Through prayer, Scripture, and real accountability, I learned how to cling to God in every season and rediscovered my identity in Christ building a life of sobriety. I leave HoldFast renewed, anchored, and grateful for the grace and strength I found here, taking it one day at a time.
Scott ThibodauxVerified Google reviewCombination of Neuro Faith' Therapist, Christian based teachings. Listening and sharing each clients experiences and thoughts about we were being taught in group meetings. Also encouraged to go to AA meetings, Church and Bible Study. I haven't sobriety for 96 Days straight since i was 15. Daily prayer and meditation combined with the Hold Fast App daily reflection schedule allowed me to stay focused on my goals of God and sobriety. I knew no one in Prescott when I moved here, now I have a brotherhood and Fellowship of Men that 100% i can count on. I am currently on Step 11 and plan on Sponsoring others as well as continuing in volunteering for others needs and bringing others to sobriety. I have a beautiful new life now that. Hold Fast brought me back ty rean honest self. Thank you Staff. I am now closer with my family.
Lui RodriguezVerified Google reviewHoldFast Recovery is "hands down" the best treatment center I have ever been to. Between the staff and brotherhood, there is genuinely something special about this place. If you're trying to find renewed faith and become the best version of yourself, you've come to the right spot. Be prepared to put in the work!
Cryss Cross CurryVerified Google reviewUnlike no other. Holdfast has been a life saving Christian based spirit filled residential treatment center based on the 12 steps. Instead of dreading the classes and meetings I look forward to all of it. The brotherhood of men here is very strong and I’m healing Godspeed.
Aaron EndsleyVerified Google review
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