Harry Reid: “I rise today to express admiration for the hundreds of Nevadans who risked their lives last week to help our neighbors…”

“I rise today to express admiration for the hundreds of Nevadans who risked their lives last week to help our neighbors in California battle the deadly wildfires that swept that State. Approximately 500 people came from Nevada to California to help fight the fires. Firefighters from every part of the State--Las Vegas, Henderson and Pahrump in the south, Reno, Carson City and other communities in the north--traveled over the border to help fight the fires. Firefighting units from the Nevada Test Site, the naval air station at Fallon, and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area were sent over the border to help Californians. We even sent 240 Nevada forestry conservation inmates who had been trained to fight fires. I am very happy and proud that Nevadans responded in this way. We believe in helping our neighbors in the West. So I wasn't surprised that we lent a helping hand. As one firefighter told the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, the decision to go to California was a no-brainer. He said: We didn't even have to think twice about it. We wanted to help our fellow firefighters. As these Nevada firefighters began returning home over the weekend, they described the gratitude of the Californians whose houses had been saved. They believed they contributed to saving those homes. Unfortunately, they also warned that our State could be next in line for devastating fires.”