Senator Barbara Boxer
US Senator from California

Over the last month, more than 2,000 fires sparked by dry lightning storms and arson raged across drought-ridden land in California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in twelve counties, and President Bush declared a federal emergency in eleven. Overall, fires have burned across more than 950,000 acres of public and private land so far this fire season. This is the most acreage ever burned in recorded state history.

In the fight against these fires support has come from all quarters, including the National Guards of eleven states, the United States Marine Corps and Navy, even NASA. And we have received welcome international assistance from our allies in Australia, New Zealand, Greece and Canada.

But I want to give special thanks to the more than 19,000 local, state and federal firefighters who have put their lives on the line over the last several weeks and continue to do so to fight these fires and protect our communities.

The people of California owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the brave men and women of CalFire and the US Forest Service as well as the California National Guard and all of the local fire departments who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in fighting these fires.

Their courage and swift action during this recent series of firestorms have been truly heroic. They have risked their health and well-being for the benefit of our communities, and we are grateful.

Some 330 firefighter injuries have been reported in just the past few weeks, a testament to the great personal risk these men and women undertake every day.

I am sad to report that these fires have claimed the life of one of our firefighters. Robert Roland, who had been with the Anderson Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Mendocino County for only three months, passed away on July 3, 2008 battling wildfires near the town of Philo. He was 63 years old.

Mr. Roland was a volunteer fire fighter. One of America’s greatest strengths is its spirit of volunteerism, and nowhere is that spirit more evident than in the tradition of volunteer firefighting.

We mourn his loss, and we remember and give thanks for his selfless efforts and those of all the firefighters – volunteer and professional – who put their lives on the line throughout California.

The scale of these fires so early in the year is a stark reminder that we cannot afford to shortchange our fire preparedness. I will continue to work to ensure that firefighters have the resources they need to effectively protect our communities.