[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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