Only the Brave: Exclusive featurette honours the elite firefighters who battle wildfires without water

The new film pays tribute to their work, and to the 19 firefighters killed during the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire

As flames maul the landscape, they seek its raging centre.

Only the Brave, a new film by Joseph Kosinki, seeks to pay tribute to hotshot crews; an elite group amongst firefighters, assigned to the roughest, steepest portions of the fire. They work without water, digging ditches and cutting firebreaks in order to slow its advance.

It's gruelling, intense work that puts the lives of these crew members in immense danger. Only the Brave documents, in particular, the devastating 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona, battled by the Granite Mountain hotshots.

19 firefighters were killed when the crew was overrun by the flames, the greatest loss of firefighters in the United States since the 9/11 attacks. The crew's lone survivor was 21-year-old Brendan McDonough, played in the film by Whiplash's Miles Teller. Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, Jeff Bridges, Taylor Kitsch, and Andie MacDowell also star.

"We wanted to make sure we were honouring the sacrifices they make to keep us all safe," Kosinski said of the project, comparing their training and dedication to the work of Navy SEALs.

Only the Brave hits UK cinemas on 10th November.

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