WASHINGTON, August 2, 2013- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement today:

"Yesterday we received the tragic news that one firefighter lost his life, and a second firefighter was injured, while working on a fire within the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of John Hammack, who lost his life yesterday. We are hopeful for the recovery of Norman Crawford, who was injured in the same incident. We were reminded yesterday of the incredible sacrifice of firefighters who have been lost or injured protecting communities from devastating wildfire. Thousands of firefighters continue to battle wildfire across the nation, and we owe them our continued support and our deepest thanks."

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.