Burns apologizes to firefighters

HELENA – Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, who is facing a tough re-election challenge this fall, apologized Thursday for criticizing a Virginia firefighting team for their work on a fire in southern Montana.

“In retrospect, I wish I had chosen my words more carefully,” Burns said in a statement. “My criticism of the way the fire was handled should not have been directed at those who were working hard to put it out.”

Paula Rosenthal, a state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation employee, wrote in a report that members of the “Hotshot” crew said Burns confronted them in the Billings airport on Sunday while they were awaiting a flight and told them they had done a “poor job” on the fire and should have listened to the concerns of area ranchers.

“My frustration came from meeting with landowners who were critical of the way the fire was handled,” Burns said. “Whatever the reason, I should have simply thanked those who worked hard to put out the fire.”

Burns was leaving Billings after attending a dedication for the new interpretive center at Pompeys Pillar National Monument.

The encounter was first reported by Lee Newspapers on Thursday.

Rosenthal, who was serving as a fire information officer in the Billings area at the time, prepared a report on the confrontation at the direction of agency supervisors. She said she was sent to the airport to meet with Burns after reports of an “altercation” between the firefighters and the senator.

“The toughest part of the conversation was the point where the senator was critical of a firefighter sitting across from us in the gate area,” Rosenthal’s report reads. “I offered to the senator that our firefighters make around $8 to $12 an hour and time-and-a-half for overtime. He seemed a bit surprised that it wasn’t higher.”

She said Burns also was concerned and upset about the “command and control” system for firefighting efforts and made “several comments about us ‘not letting ranchers fight the fire on their own land.’ “

She said she responded that landowners are an important part of firefighting, but that safety is always a priority.

“He replied, ‘We’re fighting a war on terror and we’re concerned about safety there too, but we’re out there doing it,’ ” Rosenthal wrote.

Burns said Thursday he has since addressed his concerns about the fire’s handling to the proper officials.

“Please accept my apology for any hard feelings that my comments may have caused,” Burns said. “I have the utmost respect for the job firefighters have done in Montana.”

The superintendent of the Hotshot team, Jeff Koenig, based in Staunton, Va., confirmed his team encountered Burns at the airport, but declined further comment, referring questions to spokeswoman JoBeth Brown.

Brown said members of the team who were present “have chosen not to say anything more about this.”

“They’re firefighters first – and they’re really just interested in fighting fire,” she said.

Bob Harrington, forestry division administrator for the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, said Thursday that Rosenthal’s conversation with Burns was cordial. However, Harrington said the firefighters reported a less-cordial exchange with the senator.

“I wasn’t present for that, nor was Paula, but it is my understanding from discussions that there was some level of lively discussion, shall we say?” Harrington said.

He declined to comment at length about whether it was appropriate to confront individual firefighters.