Pete Ricketts: “my home State of Nebraska is currently experiencing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions for our State. We…”

“my home State of Nebraska is currently experiencing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions for our State. We are experiencing the largest wildfires since Nebraska became a State. It started last week. We have a number of fires burning across the State that have burned up to 750,000 acres of Nebraska. That is over 1 percent, approaching 2 percent of the total land area of my State. We have had one fatality. Rose Mary White, a grandmother of 12, died at her ranch near Arthur, NE. We have also had hundreds, if not thousands, of people impacted by these fires. I ask all Nebraskans and all Americans to pray for the victims of these terrible fires. I had the opportunity, with Governor Pillen and Congressman Smith, to tour the areas that were burning on Saturday. Thank you to all of the firefighters, our volunteer firefighters who are first responders on the scene, who worked tirelessly to be able to control this fire. By the time we arrived on Saturday, they had had little sleep over the past several days and were exhausted. At 6 o'clock that night, a Federal firefighter team came in to provide relief, and I thank those firefighters as well. Thank you to our Nebraska National Guardsmen. We have two Black Hawk helicopters with Bambi baskets that are on site helping to control the fire by dumping water on it from the air. I thank Iowa as well because they have also loaned us two helicopters to be able to help out.”