Wildfire Firefighter Pay

Floor Speech

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Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Dr. Schrier, and also Assistant Leader Joe Neguse for holding this wildfire Special Order tonight.

I rise to speak on the devastating impact that wildfires have in my district, in the Inland Empire, southern California.

Right now, there are two devastating wildfires surrounding my entire district: the Bridge fire that has burned over 4,000 acres so far, and the Line fire that has burned over 27,000 acres to date. My heart goes out to the families and all the communities affected.

I thank our firefighters and first responders for their selfless sacrifice, putting themselves in harm's way to save lives. I also thank the city of Fontana and all of their employees helping to evacuate as they host families at the Jessie Turner Health & Fitness Community Center.

As our region continues to experience record-breaking heat waves, extremely dry conditions, and other unprecedented weather, it is so important to ensure the public has the resources necessary to prepare for these disasters.

In 2005, I lost my own home to a fire. I had to live in a hotel in temporary housing for 14 months with my husband, my three sons, and my pets, all while running to be the mayor of my home city of Pomona. I know all too well the great financial, physical, and emotional impacts of losing your home in a fire.

It is my goal that by raising awareness and providing the appropriate tools and resources to prepare for and recover from fires, we can help people adequately prepare and avoid similar devastation.

That is why I have introduced multiple wildfire and mudslide bills, including my annual Wildfire Preparedness Week resolution to protect and evacuate our communities and to educate our communities on the impacts of wildfires.

Our Federal firefighters do increasingly dangerous work to save lives and protect property, and many of them sleep in cars, tents, and man- made holes when they are responding to wildfires. These shelters fail to adequately protect them or provide the necessary rest and nourishment needed when responding to wildfires.

We need to do more to support these local heroes, and I urge my colleagues to provide more resources to support these Americans. Since January, there have been over 6,000 wildfires in California with our firefighters on the front lines. We cannot over-prepare or be overly cautious when it comes to wildfires.

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