[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 10, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2182-H2183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            WILDFIRE SEASON

  (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, I would like to highlight a potential 
catastrophe that may befall the Western United States in this upcoming 
2023 fire season. Indeed, it is underway. A total of 196 fires have 
already burned a total of over 50 acres so far, and it is going to be 
much, much more than that since it is on the heels of wintertime when 
they are easier to contain.
  The worst wildfires in the West are due to overgrowth and neglect of 
our Federal lands that are overpopulated with trees. They get too hot 
for conventional firefighting methods. When this occurs, fire retardant 
dropped

[[Page H2183]]

from aircraft is our best and sometimes only option.
  Dropping retardant from aircraft ahead of advancing wildfire helps 
our firefighters who are on the ground in harm's way to maybe not get 
enveloped in fire and be able to do their jobs. It allows us time to 
organize evacuations and eventually contain and put the fire out.
  A radical environmental organization is suing to have an injunction 
put on the use of fire retardants until firefighting agencies complete 
a yearslong permit process to use fire retardants.
  It is ridiculous and amazing how out of touch they are to take away 
the tool of fire retardant dropped from aircraft to help put fires out 
in the West.
  Congressman Panetta and I are working on a bill that we are 
introducing called the Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter 
Safety Act. We need this sort of thing. We need that protection.

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