Angie Craig: “today I rise to remember the 3-year anniversary of the death of two, brave fallen firefighters. July 22, 2003, will be a…”

“today I rise to remember the 3-year anniversary of the death of two, brave fallen firefighters. July 22, 2003, will be a day that is always remembered in the hearts of the family and friends of Jeff Allen of Salmon, ID, and Shane Heath of Melba, ID. These brave men lost their lives while trying to save our public lands from a catastrophic wildfire in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. Both men were experienced firefighters of the Indianola Helitack Crew. This weekend a memorial will be dedicated to Jeff and Shane. Family and friends will gather to remember their strong spirits and the sacrifice they made. This memorial symbolizes the courage of Jeff and Shane, the healing of the community, and helps us all to remember that wildfire spares no one. Jeff Allen was 23 years old and had been a firefighter since 1999. He started working on the Salmon-Challis National Forest on a thinning crew on the Salmon-Cobalt District in 1998. He served successfully in fighting devastating fires on the Salmon-Challis National Forest during the 2000 fire season. Jeff was a marketing major at Boise State University. Shane Heath was 22 years old and was in his fourth season with the Forest Service. He served on the Helitack crew as a certified sawyer and was also a student at Boise State University. The tragic loss of these two men continues to be felt throughout their communities and their selfless acts of true bravery will not be forgotten.…”