Using the 2013 Yarnell Hill fatality fire in Arizona as a backdrop, this paper considers whether the global wildland fire community has failed on-the-ground firefighters. To begin answering this question two specific lines of inquiry are addressed: (i) was the fire behavior during the major run beyond what would be predicted by currently available guidelines? and (ii) what fire behavior knowledge and tools are available to allow wildland firefighters to assess their 'margin of safety'? A set of three recommendations are offered in light of our findings.