[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 22661-22662]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



       COMMENDING THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO FOUGHT IN THE JASPER FIRE

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 376, introduced earlier today 
by Senator Daschle and Senator Johnson.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 376) expressing the sense of Senate 
     that the men and women who fought the Jasper Fire in the 
     Black Hills of South Dakota should be commended for their 
     heroic efforts.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr President, I rise today in support of the Daschle-
Johnson resolution that commends the men and women who valiantly fought 
the Jasper fire in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The fire that raged 
through the Black Hills caused considerable

[[Page 22662]]

damage to the forests in these states. Almost 100,000 acres burned in 
the Black Hills alone. To the great relief of all of us in South 
Dakota, the fire has been brought under control. The firefighters in 
our state did a tremendous job in containing the fire. Their efforts 
have been nothing short of Herculean.
  The fire started near Jasper Cave on the Black Hills National Forest 
on August 24, 2000 and was contained by September 8, 2000. By the 
second day, the fire had quadrupled in size and was burning as fast as 
100 acres per second. The fire threatened private homes in the 
communities of Deerfield, Custer and Hill City, the Jewel Cave National 
Monument and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It also forced the 
evacuation of many residents on northwestern Custer County and 
southwestern Pennington County.
  1,160 men and women worked around the clock, most of them volunteers 
who literally risked their lives and made great sacrifices to contain 
the fire. Special mention should be made of the Tatanka Hotshot crew, 
an elite 20-person firefighting team based in the Black Hills who came 
from fighting fires in western Wyoming the fight the Jasper fire. While 
the Tatanka crew has fought several fires throughout the country, this 
was the first major fire they fought in their home forest .
  The firefighters were incredibly successful. In spite of the rugged 
terrain and the intense speed and size of the Jasper fire, it was 
contained with only one home lost and with no injuries to any 
firefighters or local citizens. This resolution commends the 
firefighters for their bravery, their extraordinary efforts to contain 
the fire, and their commitment to protect lives, property and the 
surrounding communities. Senator Daschle, myself, and the entire Senate 
are proud of their efforts. We can't thank them enough.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble be 
agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with 
no intervening action, and any statements relating thereto be printed 
in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 376) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 376

       Whereas the Jasper Fire started at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, 
     August 24, 2000, near Jasper Cave in the Black Hills National 
     Forest and was contained at 6:00 p.m. on September 8, 2000;
       Whereas two days after it started, the Jasper Fire nearly 
     quadrupled in size in a matter of hours, burned as fast as 
     100 acres per second, and ultimately became the worst forest 
     fire in the history of the Black Hills, consuming 83,508 
     acres;
       Whereas the Jasper Fire threatened private homes in the 
     Black Hills, including the South Dakota communities of 
     Deerfield, Custer, and Hill City, Jewel Cave National 
     Monument, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and forced 
     the evacuation of many residents in northwestern Custer 
     County and southwestern Pennington County;
       Whereas volunteers from 67 community fire departments from 
     across South Dakota made up a substantial part of the 1,160 
     men and women who worked around the clock to contain the 
     Jasper Fire;
       Whereas the Tatanka Hotshot crew, an elite 20-person 
     firefighting team based in the Black Hills, came from 
     fighting fires in western Wyoming to help fight the Jasper 
     Fire;
       Whereas while the Tatanka Hotshot crew has fought several 
     fires throughout the country, the Jasper Fire was the first 
     major fire they fought in their home forest;
       Whereas the outpouring of support for the firefighters by 
     local residents and communities, such as Hill City and 
     Custer, helped boost firefighter morale; and
       Whereas, in spite of the rugged terrain and the intense 
     speed and size of the fire, the Jasper Fire was contained 
     successfully with only one home lost and with no injuries to 
     any firefighters or local citizens: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the Jasper Fire was the largest forest fire in the 
     history of the Black Hills National Forest, consuming 83,508 
     acres;
       (2) the volunteer firefighters from across South Dakota 
     played a crucial role in combating the Jasper Fire and 
     preventing it from destroying hundreds of homes;
       (3) the Tatanka Hotshot crew was instrumental in providing 
     the effort, expertise and training necessary to establish a 
     fire line around the Jasper Fire; and
       (4) the men and women who fought the Jasper Fire are 
     commended for their bravery, their extraordinary efforts to 
     contain the fire, and their commitment to protect lives, 
     property, and the surrounding communities.

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