[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 5, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE FIREFIGHTERS OF CALIFORNIA

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, as we return this week to Washington after 
our district work period this last month, I rise today to recognize and 
honor the many firefighters around California, particularly in my own 
district, who have been fighting so hard to extinguish these 
devastating wildfires of hundreds of thousands of acres.
  The Carr fire quickly became one of the most devastating fires in 
northern California history, and, unfortunately, claimed the lives of 
three firefighters in the process. I am very grateful for their 
sacrifice and their unwavering efforts in the face of what had to seem 
nearly impossible odds. After all, when California's poor forest 
management practices turn our public lands into tinderboxes, containing 
a wildfire becomes extremely difficult.
  I spent a lot of time in Redding last month, and I saw firsthand the 
challenges they faced and the great work being done to protect the 
citizens, the communities, and each other.
  Local firefighters, CalFire, the Hotshots, Forest Service, smoke 
jumpers, all of them were ready to go and were working, participating, 
putting their lives on the line. We owe all these men and women a great 
deal of gratitude.
  We can debate what may cause these catastrophic fires, the fuel load 
in our forests, and lack of management, but there is no question who 
put these fires out. We are very grateful to them.

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