On the recordSeptember 16, 2020
I also rise today to draw attention to the devastating wildfires burning in the West, throughout Washington, Oregon, and California, and other Western States, and, more precisely, this fire, the Creek fire, that is burning near my district in the central Sierra Nevada. Let me first salute the incredible men and women, the firefighters, the first responders, all of those volunteers who are doing their best, over 14,000 of them throughout California, and many more throughout Western States. They are putting their lives on the line trying to protect us and trying to protect our forests. Last Friday, I toured the devastation firsthand and spent 6 hours in the southern perimeter of the Creek fire in the Shaver and Huntington Lake areas. I witnessed the devastating damage that has been done, not only in this picture that is illustrated here, but the many homes that have been lost, as you see here, 1400-degree tornado firestorms that literally melted homes, such as this one here, and many, many other structures. This summer alone, clearly, has indicated that the numbers of fires that we see, not only in California, but throughout the West, are growing both in quantity and the scope of the devastation. This summer alone, with record heat and extreme conditions made worse by climate change, California has experienced 6 of the largest 20 wildfires in its history--and, sadly, most of those wildfires are still burning.…
