[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H5265-H5266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     APPRECIATION FOR ALL WHO FOUGHT RECENT NEW MEXICO FOREST FIRES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, imagine being face to face with a 
powerful beast that can frighten the most ferocious bear. This beast is 
a forest fire, and the U.S. Forest Service has recently confronted two 
immense fires in northern New Mexico. The U.S. Forest Service in our 
State has done a splendid job in containing these two fires and they 
deserve great credit.
  I want to express my appreciation to Chip Cartwright, the regional 
forester in New Mexico; Leonard Lucero, the head of the Carson Forest; 
Al Defler, head of the Santa Fe Forest; and Gary Schiff of the Forest 
Service, whose well-executed planning led to the containment of these 
fires which threatened our communities and our treasured forests in New 
Mexico.
  I also want to include for the Record a step-by-step analysis of 
exactly what the Forest Service has to do to contain a forest fire, and 
I will submit that information for the Record.
  The statement highlights the mission of the Forest Service, which 
involved air attacks, the safe evacuation of residents, the 
coordination of hundreds of firefighting crews, and the overall 
exceptional communication that was coordinated by the Service. All this 
was being done while fire was burning on very steep slopes with high 
fuel loads, strong wind gusts, and unseasonably hot and dry weather.
  Over 7,000 acres were burned. Entire communities were threatened by 
the fires, which creates a tremendous amount of stress that Forest 
Service officials must endure while making on-the-spot decisions. One 
decision included an ordered evacuation of the residents of Lama in 
northern Taos County.
  As the raging storm headed their way it was critical that the 
evacuation was handled in an orderly and calm fashion. Most individuals 
worked around the clock fighting both fires, which occurred one after 
the other. Gary Loving, for example, just completed his duties as 
incident commander for the Dome fire in the Santa Fe when he was called 
to duty in the Carson.
  While our Federal employees who manage public lands have been the 
subject of much criticism, now is the right time to acknowledge them 
for their true dedication and devoting to their duties as protectors of 
the land.
  Before I close, I also want to mention the wonderful efforts of the 
volunteer firefighting organizations, New Mexico forestry officials, 
Federal, State, and local agencies, the Red Cross, the residents of 
Lama and Red River, Questa, Taos, White Rock, Jemez, Los Alamos, and 
Santa Fe, and everyone who gave their time toward fighting these fires. 
These individuals have shown an entire

[[Page H5266]]

Nation how caring about one another and rallying together and working 
together can overcome any tragedy.
  I also want to thank the Small Business Administration, Phil Lader 
especially, the Administrator. Just today, the Small Business 
Administration has announced that Taos County, where this fire took 
place, is a Federal disaster area. That means that the residents of 
Lama who lost their homes, and there is a total of 31 families, can now 
apply for low-interest loans. In the same vein, businesses that were 
struck down by the fire can apply for low- interest loans to rebuild.
  Mr. Speaker, here is evidence of the Federal Government being able to 
help. Recently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency went to 
northern New Mexico to inspect damage, and they are working to see if 
they can be helpful, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
Here we have a situation where nature strikes, there are a lot of 
victims, and then the Federal Government can come in with some good 
programs and well-trained people and help citizens.

  Mr. Speaker, New Mexico is also not burning. Only 1 percent of 
northern Taos County burned. We are sending a message out to the rest 
of the country from New Mexico that we welcome visitors; that the State 
is not on fire; that we have some of the best hiking and fishing and 
cultural representation of our country in our State. And we hope that 
despite this tragedy, that America will come to New Mexico.
  The fire is under control. The Carson and the Santa Fe are still at 
risk, and if visitors come they have to be very careful about not 
initiating any camp fires or throwing matches on the ground or being 
careless because we are faced with a very, very precarious situation, 
especially in the Carson.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude by once again thanking members of the 
U.S. Forest Service for the splendid job they did in containing these 
two fires in New Mexico.
  Mr. Speaker, the information referred to earlier is submitted 
herewith:

 Report on the Hondo Wildfire and our Appreciation to Those Who Fought 
                               the Blaze

                    (By Congressman Bill Richardson)

       At 12:30 PM on Sunday, May 5, our Taos Zone Dispatcher, 
     Paul Mondragon, received a report of a fire spreading in San 
     Cristobal canyon. Phil Tafoya, a Carson National Forest law 
     enforcement officer, was dispatched to the scene. Fifteen 
     minutes later, Marc Trujillo, the Carson's Fire Management 
     Officer, ordered an air attack. By 2:15 PM planes were 
     dropping their first loads in efforts to save homes and 
     contain the fire.
       In the meantime Ron Burnam, Red River Fire Marshall, and 
     his fire crew as well as the Hondo/Saco and Taos Fire 
     Departments were on site attempting to save homes from the 
     ground. By 3:30 PM, Paul and Marc were ordering bulldozers 
     and other heavy equipment to build fire lines around homes 
     and communities. By 4:00 PM, it was apparent that this was a 
     raging fire storm and Lama residents' lives were in danger as 
     the storm headed their way. Carson National Forest and local 
     fire officials recommended evacuation of the Lama area.
       At 4:00 PM local forest officials, realizing the severity 
     of the fire, requested a full Type I fire team. Within hours 
     this team of world class fire fighting specialists began to 
     arrive. At 5:30 PM Carson National Forest Supervisor Leonard 
     Lucaro and Marc Trujillo flew over the fire and sized up the 
     situation. By this time the fire had reached 9000 feet in 
     elevation and was headed for Flag Mountain, just south of the 
     Village of Questa.
       Given the rate of spread, Carson National Forest officials 
     in coordination with State Forestry and local officials and 
     the State Police began the evacuation of residents on the 
     southern edge of Questa and the Town of Red River. Before 
     midnight the Class I Team, headed by incident Commander Gary 
     Loving, arrived, having just finished work on the Dome fire 
     near Los Alamos, New Mexico.
       Within 24 hours, 32 twenty-person fire crews, six 
     helicopters, 24 fire engines, and five tankers were working 
     to protect homes of local residents and contain the fire. A 
     small city of over 1000 firefighters, fire fighting 
     strategists, safety and information officers, cooks, 
     communications specialists and many more appeared on a mesa 
     just west of the fire. The challenges facing the team were 
     daunting: fighting a fire that had already engulfed almost 
     7000 acres, devastated one community and was threatening two 
     others. The fire was burning on very steep slopes, fuel loads 
     were very high, wind gusts were strong, and the weather was 
     unseasonably hot and dry.
       Yet, within days, the team managed to contain the fire. 
     Much of the work was done by helicopters which dumped over a 
     million gallons of water on the fire. What is perhaps most 
     miraculous is that not a single life was lost, nor any 
     serious injuries, neither firefighters nor residents. And 
     from the time the team arrived, not a single home was lost.
       On behalf of all of my constituents, I want to say thanks. 
     Thanks to Supervisor Leonard Lucero and the entire Carson 
     National Forest team for their swift response. Thanks to 
     local volunteer fire fighting organizations, BLM, State 
     Forestry Officials, Red Cross, the National Guard, our State 
     Police and all the local volunteers for all working together 
     seamlessly under great stress. Thanks to a wonderful 
     community who pulled together to help those in need. Thanks 
     to the Class I fire team and firefighters who came from all 
     over the nation to help us. You are truly the best on the 
     planet!
       The Forest Service certainly receives their share of knocks 
     from some who sometimes disagree with their decisions. But 
     not this time. No one is knocking this agency in my district 
     for these efforts. The men and women who helped us are 
     nothing less than heroes. And we thank them from the bottom 
     of our hearts. Muchas gracias a todos por su ayudai.

                          ____________________