[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 85 (Thursday, May 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H3286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                        WILDFIRE AWARENESS MONTH

  (Ms. TOKUDA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TOKUDA. Madam Speaker, every May is Wildfire Awareness Month in 
Hawaii and across the United States, but this year in the wake of last 
August's wildfires, fire prevention and preparedness are very personal 
and urgent for my constituents.
  The National Interagency Fire Center predicts above average, 
significant potential for wildfires across Hawaii, especially in 
leeward communities. We must prepare for a drier and hotter summer 
ahead, and in just a few weeks, the Pacific hurricane season will 
begin, increasing the potential for gusty winds and dangerous climate 
conditions.
  While we cannot predict every situation, we know a vast majority of 
wildfires are human caused, which means we each play a critical role in 
preventing fires from starting in the first place.
  Local, State, and Federal agencies must also work closely with our 
communities to implement prevention and mitigation measures, prepare 
and enhance emergency preparedness and evacuation plans, and establish 
better methods to monitor and respond to fires.
  This is essential work and planning that must be done now. Sadly, as 
Representative LaMalfa and I know all too well, the Maui and Paradise 
fires have shown us just how deadly and destructive these fires can be. 
Now it is up to all of us to make sure it doesn't happen again.

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