[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 9, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H5858-H5859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       WASHINGTON STATE WILDFIRES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Byrne). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, for the second year in a row, my home 
State of Washington and my Fourth Congressional District are facing the 
worst wildfires in the State's recorded history.
  One year ago the Carlton Complex fire broke out in Okanogan County. 
At the time, it was the most destructive in our State's history, 
burning over 250,000 acres, destroying hundreds of homes and 
businesses, and devastating the environment.
  Now the people of Washington are once again enduring another 
catastrophic wildfire season, far surpassing the scale of the 
devastation experienced last year.
  To put it in perspective, the amount of land burning in my home State 
is equivalent to the State of Rhode Island. Many of these fires 
continue to burn, even as Federal, State, and local agencies and 
officials work tirelessly to contain them.
  Communities across my State are mourning the tragic loss of three 
firefighters who fell in the line of duty on August 19 while battling 
the Twisp fire in Okanogan County. We remember and mourn the loss of 
these brave young men: Andrew Zajac, Richard Wheeler, and Tom 
Beshevsky.
  Our prayers are with their families and their loved ones. The current 
situation in Washington is dire, and the heartbreaking loss of life is 
a sober reminder of the dangerous conditions facing many residents.
  Already roughly 1 million acres have burned, along with countless 
homes and businesses and agricultural operations, forcing thousands of 
residents to evacuate their homes as the threat continues.
  While the Governor has declared a state of emergency and the 
President approved a Federal emergency declaration, the threat remains 
for residents of central and eastern Washington, and more resources are 
necessary.
  For the first time in history, the Forest Service has spent more than 
half

[[Page H5859]]

its budget on wildfire suppression and across the country over 8 
million acres have already burned just this year.
  The Forest Service reported last week that it has begun the practice 
known as fire borrowing, which is transferring funds to supplement its 
diminishing firefighting budget.
  This practice of fire borrowing leads into a vicious cycle where 
funding is not available for critical fire mitigation efforts, such as 
thinning dense forests, rehabilitating areas after wildfires, and 
ensuring communities are more resilient and prepared for future fires.
  This leads the next fire season to be worse than the last, a trend 
that we are now experiencing in Washington, which is why it is more 
important than ever to pass legislation to fix this problem such as the 
Wildfire Disaster Funding Act.
  To protect our communities and battle the wildfires, firefighters 
from across the U.S., as well as Australia and New Zealand, have joined 
the fight. We owe them our deepest gratitude and thanks.
  Additionally, the thousands of first responders and volunteers and 
National Guard servicemembers who have worked around the clock at great 
personal risk to fight the blaze deserve recognition for their heroic 
and selfless efforts.
  I have seen firsthand how our communities have pulled together to 
help one another during these trying times. Our communities in central 
and eastern Washington are resolute, resilient, and have come together 
to confront the many challenges facing them.
  The outpouring of support and effort of volunteers from all over the 
State and country, who provide shelter to survivors, cook meals, and 
unload trucks of relief supplies, is a testament to the spirit and 
determination of Washingtonians and our neighbors.
  However, help is needed still as the current fires have only worsened 
what was already a perilous situation, with more and more homes being 
destroyed, families being displaced, and severe economic hardship 
expected in the aftermath.
  Mr. Speaker, we must remember the losses caused by catastrophic 
wildfires of the last 2 years, and Congress must continue to push to 
improve forest health and to ensure that this does not happen again.

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