[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 90 (Wednesday, July 13, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        SENATE RESOLUTION 242--RELATIVE TO FEDERAL FIREFIGHTERS

  Mr. CAMPBELL (for himself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Reid, Mr. 
Bryan, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. DeConcini, Mr. Burns, Mr. Packwood, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mr. Bumpers, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Craig, Mr. Mathews, Mr. Brown, 
Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Biden, Mr. Hatfield, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. Dole, and Mr. 
Stevens) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 242

       Whereas on July 6, 1994, 14 Federal firefighters from the 
     United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land 
     Management perished while heroically fighting a raging 
     wildfire on Storm King Mountain near Glenwood Springs, 
     Colorado;
       Whereas the firefighters died when they were overswept by a 
     wildfire whipped by high and erratic winds;
       Whereas the 14 firefighters who gave their lives were Kathi 
     J. Beck, hot shot crewmember, Prineville, Oregon, Tamara J. 
     Bickett, hot shot crewmember, Prineville, Oregon, Scott A. 
     Blecha, hot shot crewmember, Prineville, Oregon, Levi 
     Brinkley, hot shot crewmember, Prineville, Oregon, Robert 
     Browning, helitack, Grand Junction, Colorado, Douglas Dunbar, 
     hot short crewmember, Prineville, Oregon, Terri A. Hagen, hot 
     shot crewmember, Prineville, Oregon, Bonnie J. Holtby, hot 
     shot crewmember, Prineville, Oregon, Robert A. Johnson, hot 
     shot crewmember, Prineville, Oregon, Jon R. Kelso, hot shot 
     squad leader, Prineville, Oregon, Donald Mackey, smokejumper, 
     Missoula, Montana, Roger Roth, smokejumper, McCall, Idaho, 
     James Thrash, smokejumper, McCall, Idaho, and Richard Tyler, 
     helitack, Grand Junction, Colorado; and
       Whereas these brave men and women gave their lives in an 
     attempt to protect American lives, property, and natural 
     resources: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate honors, and will always remember, 
     the 14 Federal firefighters who died on July 6, 1994, for 
     their heroic efforts in trying to contain a fire on Storm 
     King Mountain near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, in order to 
     protect American lives, property, and natural resources.

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, last week, while we and millions of 
other Americans were celebrating the Nation's 218th birthday on the 4th 
of July, a wisp of smoke was detected on Storm King Mountain just west 
of Glenwood Springs, in my State of Colorado. At the time, many of the 
residents of Colorado's Western Slope were concerned about the small 
fire, but confident that land management agencies would deal with it, 
as they were dealing with the many other wildfires already burning 
around the hot, dry West.
  Summer wildfires are not new to us westerners. We know that when a 
column of smoke is spotted, often by someone manning a remote fire 
lookout high atop some mountain, that young men and women, clad in 
their trademark yellow fire shirts, will always respond. We often see 
these people, hard at work with their shovels, pulaskis, hoses, and 
chain saws on steep mountain slopes, protecting life, property, and 
natural resources all over the West. Every summer, Americans watching 
television news programs see such ground crews, along with spectacular 
shots of air-tankers and helicopters dropping water and retardant on 
fires somewhere in the West.
  The 52 men and women responding to that column of smoke on Storm King 
Mountain were among the best of the best Federal firefighters; they 
included smokejumpers, helitack and hotshots crews. These are crews 
that have developed a well-deserved reputation of doing their job 
exceptionally well, and, considering the risk of the profession, have a 
tremendously good safety record. Maybe that is why we were all so 
unprepared for what went so terribly wrong last week.
  It was last Wednesday afternoon, the 6th of July, when these 52 
firefighters were trying to contain the blaze, that high winds struck 
the area, whipping a small fire into a fire storm. Many of these brave 
young people found themselves trapped, their planned escape routes 
blocked by sheets of flame. When the blowup, as firefighters commonly 
call it, was over, 14 people were unaccounted for. As officials began 
searching for the individuals who did not come out, they began to 
recognize that there was a terrible tragedy in the making and, in 
minutes, Storm King became ``fire king.''
  Fourteen firefighters perished on the South Canyon fire that 
afternoon. Several others were injured. I believe it is appropriate 
that the Senate honor the brave men and women, who were employees of 
the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, who gave their 
lives that day. They were: Kathi J. Beck, Tamara J. Bickett, Scott A. 
Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Robert Browning, Douglas Dunbar, Terri A. Hagen, 
Bonnie J. Holtby, Robert A. Johnson, Jon R. Kelso, Donald Mackey, Roger 
Roth, James Thrash, and Richard Tyler.
  We are tremendously grateful to these people for what they were 
trying to do in protecting the lives, property, and resources of 
Colorado citizens. Our hearts go out to their surviving comrades, 
family, and freinds. We will always remember their heroism.
  Today I am submitting a commemorative resolution recognizing their 
sacrifice. I encourage my colleagues to join me, and the citizens of 
Colorado, as original cosponsors to show their respect by supporting 
this resolution.
 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, as we pause to honor these brave 
Americans, I would like to pay tribute to Don Mackey, a smokejumper 
from Hamilton, MT, who died while trying to save the lives of others.
  Quentin Rhoades, a Montana firefighter who survived the fire reported 
that Don Mackey saved Rhoades' life and the life of seven other smoke 
jumpers. It was only when Mackey returned to the fire trying to save 
more lives that he lost his own. ``If (Mackey) would have stayed with 
us, he would have lived,'' Rhoades said.
  Mr. President, Montana is experienced with the tragedies wildfires 
bring. The Mann Gulch fire of 1949 was a wildfire with disturbing 
similarities to the one on Storm King Mountain 1 week ago. Mr. 
President, on behalf of Montanans who are all too familiar with the 
horrible destruction these wildfires can cause, I would like to pay 
tribute to Don Mackey and the other brave firefighters who lost their 
lives in the Storm King Mountain fire on July 6, 1994.
 Mr. PACKWOOD. Mr. President, nine Federal firefighters came 
home to Oregon yesterday.
  Usually such a homecoming would be a normal and happy turn of events, 
unmarked and unnoticed except for their immediate family and close 
friends who knew they were off battling yet another big fire to save 
the lives, livestock, and property of strangers.
  But this homecoming was marked by immense grief, for these 
firefighters were killed when they were overswept by a wildfire whipped 
by high and erratic winds on a Colorado mountainside. They came home in 
a DC-3, wrapped in an American flag.
  These firefighters were typical hard-working, self-sacrificing 
Oregonians, many of whom hail from small communities. They were, by and 
large, young, which makes it doubly hard to accept their loss. My 
heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends, and to 
their hometowns.
  Today I cosponsored a resolution to honor all 14 of the Federal 
firefighters who were caught in that devastating blaze near Glenwood 
Springs, CO. These men and women gave their lives in a successful 
effort to protect the lives and property of other Americans, and our 
natural resources. They are heroes and should be recognized as 
such.
 Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, last week, we in Colorado were 
reminded that nature is a powerful force. Fires in nearly a dozen 
separate sites, most started by lightening strikes, ravaged the 
mountainous terrain of western Colorado.
  Even more unfortunate than the burning of thousands of acres of 
America's most beautiful countryside, was the tragic loss of 14 
firefighters. By all accounts, the fire erupted as high winds 
accompanying a cold front blew into the canyon where 52 firefighters 
were battling a 50-acre fire. Strong winds typically herald the arrival 
of a front. But the usually predictable winds of 20 to 30 miles per 
hour high in the sky may have accelerated to 40 to 50 miles per hour on 
the ground. Within hours, the fire erupted from 50 acres to 2,200. In 
moments, the fire topped the ridge, blown from behind. Then fierce 
crosswinds forced the flames back down onto the firefighters.
  The crews split up and sprinted through the thin 7,000-foot air for 
the prearranged escape routes; 38 made it. Of the 14 who died, 9, 5 men 
and 4 women, were part of a hot shot crew based in Prineville, OR. It 
is my hope that Senators Hatfield and Packwood will help me in 
extending the sympathy and the thanks of all Coloradans to this 
community and the families of these brave men and women.
  I also take this opportunity to offer words of commendation and 
comfort to the family of Richard Tyler of Palisades, CO. There is no 
higher service than a sacrifice for your own State and community. 
Richard Tyler's sacrifice was much greater than that usually asked of 
Colorado citizens.
  I commend Secretaries Espy and Babbitt for initiating a board of 
inquiry into the incident which led to this tragic loss of life. These 
individuals lost their lives protecting the beauty that is Colorado, 
and the homes of Coloradans who enjoy this majesty. We must have the 
facts, so that never again will we place our firefighters in a position 
that leads to such an excessive loss of life.
  In Glenwood Springs, CO, a city that was threatened by the same fire 
that took these brave individuals lives, the citizens are raising funds 
to erect a memorial to their sacrifice. Long after the grass and 
seedlings erase the horror of last week, those who live in this 
Colorado community will remember.
  Again, I take this opportunity to share my sympathy with the families 
of those who sacrificed their lives to halt the wildfires in Colorado. 
Their bravery and sacrifice will not be forgotten quickly by those 
whose homes were at risk.

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