[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H4636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING NICHOLAS DALE

  (Mr. HURD of Colorado asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nicholas 
Dale, who gave his life battling the Gold Mountain fire in southwestern 
Colorado.
  On July 12, Nicholas was piloting a firefighting helicopter when his 
aircraft went down in Silver Jack Reservoir. He was 56 years old and 
had traveled from Sooke, British Columbia, to help protect a State that 
was not his own.
  We owe an enormous debt to aerial firefighters like Nicholas. Mission 
after mission, they fly into smoke and over rugged terrain so ground 
crews can gain the upper hand and communities have a fighting chance.
  Nicholas is the fourth firefighter to lose his life battling Colorado 
wildfires this past month. His death is a sobering reminder of the 
risks wildland firefighters and aviators face every time they take to 
the sky or fire line.
  Mr. Speaker, few Coloradans will ever see their faces, but everyone 
benefits from their courage. We thank them sincerely.

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