[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9096-H9097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             BATTLING THE WILDFIRES THAT PLAGUE CALIFORNIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking the thousands 
of firefighters who, each year, put their lives at risk to battle 
wildfires like those that have plagued California and other western 
States. We owe it to them, as well as to the American people, to use 
every measure available to fight fires in ways that reduce the risk to 
those firefighters and the risk of losing lives and property among our 
population.
  Just in the last year, and that is in 2018, wildfires in California 
burned 1,117,000 acres. Nationally, there was 6.5 million acres burned. 
In California, we had six fatalities. Nationally, there were 16 
fatalities. California property losses were 2,356 houses--those are 
people's homes--and 1,239 nonresidential buildings.
  On that note, today, I would like to draw the attention of my 
colleagues and the American people to what I consider to be an 
inexcusable roadblock that is stopping the implementation of new, 
innovative, and tested effective firefighting technology.
  In 2008, I helped secure funding for research and testing of the 
technology that ultimately became Precision Containerized Aerial 
Delivery System, or PCADS.

                              {time}  1030

  It was designed specifically for military aircraft, including the C-
17s and the C-130s and others as well. It has been tested over the 
years and proven to deliver massive amounts of water or fire retardant 
onto fires using GPS and other expertise. It is safer, more accurate, 
and much more effective than traditional aerial firefighting.
  Yet a decade later, this technology has not been put to use despite 
the Air National Guard's report determining that the PCADs are 
operationally effective and appropriate for the use of C-130 
firefighting aircraft or military aircraft that can be made for 
firefighting. This has been deemed operational, yet for the last 8 
months, while we have lost all of these homes and all of these lives, 
hundreds of these aircraft, C-130s and C-17s, have sat on the tarmac.
  This aircraft was designed for military use, but without 
modification, can save the lives and homes of American citizens 
throughout this country who are victimized by wildfires and other types 
of fires. The primary responsibility of our government is to protect 
the lives of our people with the best available tools, and it is 
certainly not doing so.
  I include in the Record, Mr. Speaker, letters that I have written to 
the Director of our Air National Guard; to Secretary Mattis, the 
Secretary of Defense; and to Heather Wilson, the Secretary of the Air 
Force.

                                Congress of the United States,

                                     House of Representatives,

                                                  August 30, 2018.
     Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice,
     Director, Air National Guard,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear General Rice: I draw your attention to our military's 
     bureaucratic inertia that has led to a needless loss of life 
     and a tremendous loss of property. I am referring to the vast 
     damage caused in the Western United States, specifically 
     California, by out-of-control wildfires which have plagued 
     the region for the last few months. This loss of life and 
     property could have been dramatically curtailed had our 
     military acted upon an option that was, and is, readily 
     available.
       Our inventory of C-130 and C-17 aircraft, with inexpensive 
     and slight interior modifications, could be used as a major 
     firefighting asset that could make a major difference. 
     Instead, these potential incredible firefighting assets sat 
     as California burned. Using these aircraft as valuable 
     firefighting assets would not involve any alteration of the 
     aircraft. This option however has been available and ignored.
       I call your attention to the Precision Container Aerial 
     Delivery System (PCADS). I helped win Congressional approval 
     in the 2008 appropriations bill wherein $2.3 million was 
     provided for the research and testing of this system. It is 
     ten years later, and I am frustrated that it has not been 
     used to protect our citizens, our homes, our businesses, and 
     our wildlands.
       The Air National Guard determined that PCADS is 
     operationally effective and is appropriate for C-130 
     firefighting. The final report on PCADS that found it to be a 
     reliable option was released in January 2018, yet seven 
     months later there has been no action taken to deploy the 
     system. During those seven months, we have suffered 109 large 
     fires which have burned 1.9 million acres, caused 16 fire 
     fatalities, and destroyed 2,356 houses. During this time, our 
     C-130's and C-17's equipped with this system could have had a 
     major impact on these fires. This is utterly unacceptable 
     when we have a proven technology that responds faster and 
     delivers massive quantities of water and fire retardant with 
     GPS directed drops in contrast to the status quo. 
     Furthermore, military transport aircraft can be rapidly and 
     easily reloaded with water or fire retardant as compared to 
     any other system. When the American people discover how 
     bureaucratic intransigence has caused such preventable 
     wildfire damage they will be justifiably outraged.
       Today, I am demanding that actions be taken upon receipt of 
     this letter to facilitate the use of this simple and 
     inexpensive technology which will easily turn our inventory 
     of C-130's and C-17's into firefighting water and fire-
     retardant bombers.
       I hope you will take this letter seriously enough in order 
     to prevent even more damage in the state of California and 
     elsewhere.
           Yours sincerely,
                                         Dana Rohrabacher (CA 48),
     Member of Congress.
                                  ____

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                                  August 30, 2018.
     Hon. James N. Mattis,
     Secretary of Defense,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Mattis: I draw your attention to our 
     military's bureaucratic inertia that has led to a needless 
     loss of life and a tremendous loss of property. I am 
     referring to the vast damage caused in the Western United 
     States, specifically California, by out-of-control wildfires 
     which have plagued the region for the last few months. This 
     loss of life and property could have been dramatically 
     curtailed had our military acted upon an option that was, and 
     is, readily available.
       Our inventory of C-130 and C-17 aircraft, with inexpensive 
     and slight interior modifications, could be used as a major 
     firefighting asset that could make a major difference. 
     Instead, these potential incredible firefighting assets sat 
     as California burned. Using these aircraft as valuable 
     firefighting assets would not involve any alteration of the 
     aircraft. This option however has been available and ignored.
       I call your attention to the Precision Container Aerial 
     Delivery System (PCADS). I helped win Congressional approval 
     in the 2008 appropriations bill wherein $2.3 million was 
     provided for the research and testing of this system. It is 
     ten years later, and I am frustrated that it has not been 
     used to protect our citizens, our homes, our businesses, and 
     our wildlands.

[[Page H9097]]

       The Air National Guard determined that PCADS is 
     operationally effective and is appropriate for C-130 
     firefighting. The final report on PCADS that found it to be a 
     reliable option was released in January 2018, yet seven 
     months later there has been no action taken to deploy the 
     system. During those seven months, we have suffered 109 large 
     fires which have burned 1.9 million acres, caused 16 fire 
     fatalities, and destroyed 2,356 houses. During this time, our 
     C-130's and C-17's equipped with this system could have had a 
     major impact on these fires. This is utterly unacceptable 
     when we have a proven technology that responds faster and 
     delivers massive quantities of water and fire retardant with 
     GPS directed drops in contrast to the status quo. 
     Furthermore, military transport aircraft can be rapidly and 
     easily reloaded with water or fire retardant as compared to 
     any other system. When the American people discover how 
     bureaucratic intransigence has caused such preventable 
     wildfire damage they will be justifiably outraged.
       Today, I am demanding that actions be taken upon receipt of 
     this letter to facilitate the use of this simple and 
     inexpensive technology which will easily turn our inventory 
     of C-130's and C-17's into firefighting water and fire-
     retardant bombers.
       I hope you will take this letter seriously enough in order 
     to prevent even more damage in the state of California and 
     elsewhere.
           Yours sincerely,
                                         Dana Rohrabacher (CA 48),
     Member of Congress.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                  Washington, DC, August 30, 2018.
     Hon. Heather Wilson,
     Secretary of the Air Force,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Wilson: I draw your attention to our 
     military's bureaucratic inertia that has led to a needless 
     loss of life and a tremendous loss of property. I am 
     referring to the vast damage caused in the Western United 
     States, specifically California, by out-of-control wildfires 
     which have plagued the region for the last few months. This 
     loss of life and property could have been dramatically 
     curtailed had our military acted upon an option that was, and 
     is, readily available.
       Our inventory of C-130 and C-17 aircraft, with inexpensive 
     and slight interior modifications, could be used as a major 
     firefighting asset that could make a major difference. 
     Instead, these potential incredible firefighting assets sat 
     as California burned. Using these aircraft as valuable 
     firefighting assets would not involve any alteration of the 
     aircraft. This option however has been available and ignored.
       I call your attention to the Precision Container Aerial 
     Delivery System (PCADS). I helped win Congressional approval 
     in the 2008 appropriations bill wherein $2.3 million was 
     provided for the research and testing of this system. It is 
     ten years later, and I am frustrated that it has not been 
     used to protect our citizens, our homes, our businesses, and 
     our wildlands.
       The Air National Guard determined that PCADS is 
     operationally effective and is appropriate for C-130 
     firefighting. The final report on PCADS that found it to be a 
     reliable option was released in January 2018, yet seven 
     months later there has been no action taken to deploy the 
     system. During those seven months, we have suffered 109 large 
     fires which have burned 1.9 million acres, caused 16 fire 
     fatalities, and destroyed 2,356 houses. During this time, our 
     C-130's and C-17's equipped with this system could have had a 
     major impact on these fires. This is utterly unacceptable 
     when we have a proven technology that responds faster and 
     delivers massive quantities of water and fire retardant with 
     GPS directed drops in contrast to the status quo. 
     Furthermore, military transport aircraft can be rapidly and 
     easily reloaded with water or fire retardant as compared to 
     any other system. When the American people discover how 
     bureaucratic intransigence has caused such preventable 
     wildfire damage they will be justifiably outraged.
       Today, I am demanding that actions be taken upon receipt of 
     this letter to facilitate the use of this simple and 
     inexpensive technology which will easily turn our inventory 
     of C-130's and C-17's into firefighting water and fire-
     retardant bombers.
       I hope you will take this letter seriously enough in order 
     to prevent even more damage in the state of California and 
     elsewhere.
           Yours sincerely,
                                         Dana Rohrabacher (CA 48),
                                               Member of Congress.

  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I would hope that we would get some 
support from these leaders who have been appointed by President Trump 
to protect the American people in any way they can.
  Having these airplanes sit on the tarmac in California and elsewhere 
throughout this country when they could drop fire retardant and massive 
amounts of fire retardant water saving homes--little cul de sacs that 
would catch on fire and be destroyed, one flight over those cul de sacs 
could have saved them.
  Thousands of people have lost their lives needlessly because of 
bureaucratic intransigence in our military, so we are calling on the 
Air National Guard, the Air Force, and, of course, our Secretary of 
Defense to unblock this impediment to protecting the lives of our 
people with U.S. military equipment that can do the job.

                          ____________________