[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 90 (Friday, June 25, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL PLANNING SAVED 100,000 LIVES IN CALIFORNIA 
                                WILDFIRE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2004

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I have already asked my 
colleagues today to recognize the bravery of firefighters who saved 
40,000 homes in last year's devastating wildfires. But I would now like 
to also pay tribute to an unprecedented effort at planning and 
organization by federal, state and local officials that allowed the 
evacuation of 100,000 people threatened by fire--without a single 
injury or a major hitch!
  Many of the heroes of this planning effort were on the front lines 
fighting the Old Fire, which eventually burned 91,000 acres and 
destroyed nearly 1,000 homes in October 2003. But their work to avoid a 
devastating loss of life began more 18 months earlier with the 
formation of the Mountain Area Safety Task Force, known throughout the 
San Bernardino Mountains as the MAST.
  San Bernardino National Forest Supervisor Gene Zimmerman initiated 
the formation of the MAST to deal with an on-going crisis: the death of 
more than 5 million trees because of drought and attacks by pine bark 
beetles. The forest, which is largely in my 41st Congressional 
District, is one of the most urbanized and heavily used in the nation, 
with nearly 100,000 residents and visitors living amongst the trees. 
The chance for a devastating fire is overwhelming, and it will take 
many years and hundreds of millions of dollars to eliminate the danger.
  It became clear that the task of restoring the forest--and avoiding 
the loss of thousands of lives in a fire--would require the coordinated 
efforts of the Forest Service, the state Department of Forestry and 
Fire, San Bernardino County Fire Department, and dozens of local fire 
departments, community groups and businesses. Such a coordination 
effort had never been undertaken on such a comprehensive scale, and the 
organizational hurdles alone were daunting.
  But the mountain communities, while divided into dozens of small 
pockets by geography, are populated by people who look out for each 
other, and who are united in their devotion to the forest. Hundreds of 
residents turned out for every informational meeting, and officials 
from agencies at all levels made the coordination of effort their top 
priority.
  With the substantial help of the geographic information systems 
company ESRI, the MAST established elaborate plans on how to evacuate 
residents along the few main highways that snake through the forest. 
Dozens of community meetings were held, and residents had access to an 
Internet Web site created free-of-charge by ESRI that provided even 
more detailed information.
  When the Old Fire struck in October 2003, our worst fears seemed 
about to be realized. The fire appeared to be unstoppable before it 
reached the stands of dead trees. Within a day, the order went out to 
evacuate, even as the firefighters made valiant stands to stop the fire 
along the evacuation routes. The success of the planning process was 
soon clear: No one was injured in the evacuation. Although six deaths 
were attributed to the fire, none of our residents were caught in their 
homes like those who suffered tragic deaths in San Diego County.
  Mr. Speaker, the MAST continues to meet and plan for the restoration 
of the forest and the upcoming fire season. While some progress has 
been made in reducing the number of dead trees, the fire danger remains 
high. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of this group, I am confident 
that we will be prepared to meet that danger.
  The members of the MAST--represented by Supervisor Zimmerman and San 
Bernardino National Forest Staff Director Doug Pumphrey--will be 
honored this Friday with a U.S. Department of Agriculture Honor Award. 
This award is without question highly deserved, and I ask my colleagues 
to join me in congratulating and thanking those who took part in this 
life-saving effort.

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