Washington State Wildfires

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, for the second year in a row, my home
State of Washington and my Fourth Congressional District are facing the
worst wildfires in the State's recorded history.

One year ago the Carlton Complex fire broke out in Okanogan County.
At the time, it was the most destructive in our State's history,
burning over 250,000 acres, destroying hundreds of homes and
businesses, and devastating the environment.

Now the people of Washington are once again enduring another
catastrophic wildfire season, far surpassing the scale of the
devastation experienced last year.

To put it in perspective, the amount of land burning in my home State
is equivalent to the State of Rhode Island. Many of these fires
continue to burn, even as Federal, State, and local agencies and
officials work tirelessly to contain them.

Communities across my State are mourning the tragic loss of three
firefighters who fell in the line of duty on August 19 while battling
the Twisp fire in Okanogan County. We remember and mourn the loss of
these brave young men: Andrew Zajac, Richard Wheeler, and Tom
Beshevsky.

Our prayers are with their families and their loved ones. The current
situation in Washington is dire, and the heartbreaking loss of life is
a sober reminder of the dangerous conditions facing many residents.

Already roughly 1 million acres have burned, along with countless
homes and businesses and agricultural operations, forcing thousands of
residents to evacuate their homes as the threat continues.

While the Governor has declared a state of emergency and the
President approved a Federal emergency declaration, the threat remains
for residents of central and eastern Washington, and more resources are
necessary.

For the first time in history, the Forest Service has spent more than
half its budget on wildfire suppression and across the country over 8
million acres have already burned just this year.

The Forest Service reported last week that it has begun the practice
known as fire borrowing, which is transferring funds to supplement its
diminishing firefighting budget.

This practice of fire borrowing leads into a vicious cycle where
funding is not available for critical fire mitigation efforts, such as
thinning dense forests, rehabilitating areas after wildfires, and
ensuring communities are more resilient and prepared for future fires.

This leads the next fire season to be worse than the last, a trend
that we are now experiencing in Washington, which is why it is more
important than ever to pass legislation to fix this problem such as the
Wildfire Disaster Funding Act.

To protect our communities and battle the wildfires, firefighters
from across the U.S., as well as Australia and New Zealand, have joined
the fight. We owe them our deepest gratitude and thanks.

Additionally, the thousands of first responders and volunteers and
National Guard servicemembers who have worked around the clock at great
personal risk to fight the blaze deserve recognition for their heroic
and selfless efforts.

I have seen firsthand how our communities have pulled together to
help one another during these trying times. Our communities in central
and eastern Washington are resolute, resilient, and have come together
to confront the many challenges facing them.

The outpouring of support and effort of volunteers from all over the
State and country, who provide shelter to survivors, cook meals, and
unload trucks of relief supplies, is a testament to the spirit and
determination of Washingtonians and our neighbors.

However, help is needed still as the current fires have only worsened
what was already a perilous situation, with more and more homes being
destroyed, families being displaced, and severe economic hardship
expected in the aftermath.

Mr. Speaker, we must remember the losses caused by catastrophic
wildfires of the last 2 years, and Congress must continue to push to
improve forest health and to ensure that this does not happen again.

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