BOXER PAYS TRIBUTE TO FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING BLAZES IN CALIFORNIA
-Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) spoke on the Senate floor today to thank the firefighters who are fighting the wildfires now raging in California.
Senator Boxer’s remarks:
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Over the last month, a swarm of dry lightning storms sparked more than 1,800 fires across drought-ridden land in California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Bush have declared a state of emergency in eleven counties in the state and crews are still working to bring under control over 300 fires burning across more than 600,000 acres of public and private land.
In the fight against these fires support has come from all quarters, including the National Guards of 11 states, the United States Marine Corps and Navy, even NASA.But I want to give special thanks to the more than 18,000 local, state and federal firefighters who have put their lives on the line over the last several weeks and continue to do so to fight these fires and protect our communities.
The people of California owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the brave men and women of CalFire and the US Forest Service as well as the California National Guard and all of the local fire departments who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in fighting these fires.
Your courage and swift action during this recent series of firestorms have been truly heroic. You have risked your health and well-being for the benefit of our communities, and we are grateful.
Some 233 firefighter injuries have been reported in just the past few weeks, a testament to the great personal risk these men and women undertake every day.
I am sad to report that these fires have claimed the life of one of our firefighters. Robert Roland, who had been with the Anderson Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Mendocino County for only three months, passed away on July 3, 2008 battling wildfires near the town of Philo.
He was 63 years old.
He was 63 years old.
Mr. Roland was a volunteer firefighter. One of America’s greatest strengths is its spirit of volunteerism and nowhere is that spirit more evident than in the tradition of volunteer firefighting.
We mourn his loss, and we remember and give thanks for his selfless efforts and those of all the firefighters – volunteer and professional who put their lives on the line throughout California.
