[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 30, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H4347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING FALLEN UTAH FIREFIGHTERS

  (Mr. MOORE of Utah asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the three 
fallen firefighters who tragically died this past weekend while 
fighting fires in Utah.
  Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson died during an 
interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires, which are among 
several fires burning in our State right now. I am praying for their 
families and those close to the impacted areas. Their sacrifice will 
not be forgotten.
  I am grateful to the many first responders working tirelessly to 
protect us. Brave men and women from across the State are on the front 
lines fighting for our communities, and we can never adequately thank 
them for their service.
  In Utah and across the country, we are seeing devastating wildfires 
tear through forests and homes. Nearly 2,000 personnel are actively 
fighting these fires spanning over 250,000 acres.
  Too many deadly wildfires are due to unpreparedness and mismanagement 
of forests. I was an original cosponsor of the Fix Our Forests Act and 
was proud that it was one of the first bills that we passed in the 
House this Congress.
  The Fix Our Forests Act will increase coordination so wildfire 
agencies can better prepare for fire season and prevent these 
catastrophic wildfires. It is time that the Senate finish the job and 
send this bill to the President's desk. As this weekend has shown, Utah 
cannot wait any longer.
  I am also working on new legislation to better prevent, detect, and 
mitigate wildfires. We need better coordination and more support for 
those putting their lives on the line to protect us, and this 
legislation is a step in the right direction.
  What is happening across my State is devastating. I pray that the 
fires will soon be contained for the safety of our first responders.

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