Nebraska 3rd District Congressman Adrian Smith used his daily floor speech in the U-S House Friday to praise the professional and volunteer firefighters who have responded to a recent pair of wildfires in central Nebraska.
Smith told his colleagues that he wanted to recognize “the extraordinary response of emergency personnel” from over 50 local and volunteer fire departments and multiple state and federal agencies to the Betty’s Way and Lariat wildfires.
Smith said despite the Betty’s Way Fire racing across more than 70,000 acres of Lincoln, Custer, and Dawson Counties in less than a day and the Lariat Fire in Logan County covering 10-½ miles in about 2 hours, no lives were lost.
He also told how “countless private citizens pitched in to move livestock, disk fields to slow the fire, and transport water”, then how local businesses and individuals donated livestock feed and fencing repair supplies to GoFundMe recovery efforts.
Smith said “the remarkable generosity in the face of disaster shows what Nebraskans are made of – quick to lend a hand with greater concern for their neighbors than for the cost to themselves.
The congressman also said that along with his deep gratitude to all those who helped with the suppression and recovery efforts he offers his condolences and thoughts to all the Nebraskans impacted by the fires.