Ann Kirkpatrick: “We are entering the heart of wildfire season in Arizona. Over the coming months, folks in my district will be faced with…”

“We are entering the heart of wildfire season in Arizona. Over the coming months, folks in my district will be faced with serious threats to their lives and property time and again; and time and again, these threats will be contained thanks to our firefighters. As much as anyone, we in District One know the risk firefighters take to protect our communities. We remember how hard they worked to keep us safe when the Rodeo-Chediski fire forced thousands of Arizonans to evacuate their homes. We saw them heading into the forest to battle the Boggy fire, which they successfully contained 18 miles from Alpine just yesterday. These brave men and women face incredible danger as a basic part of their jobs. So far this year, 34 firefighters have lost their lives in the line of duty. We must honor their service and sacrifice and renew our commitment to providing them with the support they need to fulfill their duties. It is the least we can do.”