HONORING FALLEN UTAH FIREFIGHTERS

On 2026-06-30, Representative Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING FALLEN UTAH FIREFIGHTERS" in the House.

HONORING FALLEN UTAH FIREFIGHTERS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 109 (Tuesday, June 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 30, 2026)] [House] [Page H4347] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING FALLEN UTAH FIREFIGHTERS (Mr. MOORE of Utah asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the three fallen firefighters who tragically died this past weekend while fighting fires in Utah. Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson died during an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires, which are among several fires burning in our State right now. I am praying for their families and those close to the impacted areas. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten. I am grateful to the many first responders working tirelessly to protect us. Brave men and women from across the State are on the front lines fighting for our communities, and we can never adequately thank them for their service. In Utah and across the country, we are seeing devastating wildfires tear through forests and homes. Nearly 2,000 personnel are actively fighting these fires spanning over 250,000 acres. Too many deadly wildfires are due to unpreparedness and mismanagement of forests. I was an original cosponsor of the Fix Our Forests Act and was proud that it was one of the first bills that we passed in the House this Congress. The Fix Our Forests Act will increase coordination so wildfire agencies can better prepare for fire season and prevent these catastrophic wildfires. It is time that the Senate finish the job and send this bill to the President's desk. As this weekend has shown, Utah cannot wait any longer. I am also working on new legislation to better prevent, detect, and mitigate wildfires. We need better coordination and more support for those putting their lives on the line to protect us, and this legislation is a step in the right direction. What is happening across my State is devastating. I pray that the fires will soon be contained for the safety of our first responders. ____________________