[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 22, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H1535]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       PENNSYLVANIA WILDFIRE WEEK

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
recognition of Pennsylvania's Wildfire Prevention Week, which will be 
observed through this Saturday.
  As chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and 
Forestry and the Representative of Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional 
District, which includes the Allegheny National Forest, I know how 
quickly simple brush fires can get out of control at this time of the 
year, often devastating acres of forest. In Pennsylvania, it is 
estimated that nearly 7,000 acres of State and private land are burned 
each year. Additionally, nearly all brush fires, an estimated 85 
percent, occur in the months of March, April, and May.
  Because of the prevalence of fires at this time of the year, I also 
want to praise the efforts of our fire departments across the 
Commonwealth. These men and women, the vast majority of whom are 
volunteers, volunteer their time and service to their communities and 
often put their lives on the line to save property and homes impacted 
by fires which grow out of control.
  Nearly all wildfires are caused by human activity, which is why it is 
so important that we continue to educate the public on commonsense ways 
to stop them before they start.

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