July 31, 2006

Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

I spent most of the weekend in the northwestern corner of our state, where I had the privilege of witnessing first-hand the heroism and expertise of Nebraska’s firefighters, local officials and emergency managers involved in the response to wildfires in the Panhandle.

Whether it was the heroic and successful last stand that saved Chadron State College just shy of a tree line on campus or the continuing collaborative efforts with our local, state and federal partners outside of Chadron and Harrison, I can tell you that the hard work and collaboration taking place in the northwestern part of our state is Nebraska at its best.

As the week began, these communities were far from safe and it’s important that all of Nebraska be on alert. Fire season is in full-swing, and as our producers and rural firefighters know all too well, six and seven years of drought have created a tinder-box situation across much of our state’s dry grassland and forested areas.

Lightning strikes appear to have caused the most recent wildfires plaguing northwestern corner of our state. With the beginning of August, we enter what is typically a very dry, very active fire month, and I would ask all Nebraskans to remain vigilant in reporting grassfires immediately to local fire departments.

We learn about the unfailing commitment of local first responders on difficult days like these. Even as their communities were threatened, the residents and firefighters I met in Harrison and Chadron remained resolute that they would protect these towns.

These Nebraskans are heroes who have pushed on despite exhaustion from having fought fires in the area for days on end, often working 20 to 22 hours, sleeping a bit and heading out once again. Their efforts prevented the spread of fire to the town of Harrison and most of Chadron over the weekend when winds fanned the fires causing them to spread out of control.

I want to commend local residents in the area for stepping up to help in this effort. We saw many instances where residents had taken the initiative to create breaks around their homes and land, which helped prevent the spread of fires. Their work and that of the hundreds of firefighters is why we’ve seen so few losses when it comes to homes and community infrastructure thus far.

That level of personal responsibility is a trademark of our state and I cannot emphasize enough how important that sense of determination has been.

At the state level, we are making every resource at our disposal available, from the troops and helicopters of the Nebraska National Guard to road graders from the Nebraska Department of Roads, the contacts of our state Fire Marshal’s Office and thousands of hours put in by state agencies working to support the efforts of more than 1,200 volunteer and federal firefighters, many of whom have traveled hundreds of miles to help. The arrival of federal firefighting teams and additional state assets we hope will allow those who’ve been working around the clock some much-needed rest, and we will continue to seek aid from other states to help put these fires out.

A relief fund has been set up to help those who lost their homes in the Chadron fires and provide support for those who’ve been working to fight these wildfires. Donations may be dropped off at any financial institution in Dawes or Sioux Counties, or made payable to the Dawes-Sioux Fire Fund and mailed to P.O. Box 1125, Chadron, NE 69337.

Many of Nebraska’s communities rely on the efforts of fire departments made up of volunteers, and these fires have shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that all of our firefighters in this state are very capable and well-trained professionals. We are so grateful for their service to our communities, and their work has been vital as we continue to fight back the wildfires in our state.