Political Quotes

“I rise today, on behalf of my State of Oregon, to express our deepest gratitude for the New Zealanders who put their lives on the line this last summer in fighting the ravenous wildfires experienced in the West. Even as the rains of fall settle into the forests of the Pacific Northwest, it is not difficult to remember the fiery infernos that engulfed the West only a few months ago. The year 2002 was the second worst fire season in 50 years. Nationwide 21 lives were lost and 6.7 million acres were burned. It was one of the Nation's largest fires, called the Biscuit Fire, that drew a cadre of international firefighters to Oregon, the world's best sent to join the fight against our worst disaster. The Biscuit Fire, the largest wildfire in Oregon in over a century, eventually burned 500,000 acres in southwestern Oregon. At times, firefighters put the chances of losing one or all of the Illinois Valley's four towns at 75 percent. However, 7,000 of the world's best firefighters beat the odds and staved off an exploding fire that threatened hundreds of square miles and thousands of homes. As a result of their relentless work, no lives were lost and structural loss was virtually nonexistent. On behalf of my State of Oregon, I want to thank and commend the brave New Zealand firefighters who helped win that battle against wildfire.”