Doug LaMalfa, the representative from California’s 1st Congressional District, died during emergency surgery Tuesday, Jan. 6. He is survived by his wife and four children. He was 65 years old.

Mark Spannagel, LaMalfa’s chief of staff, released a public statement saying, “Congressman LaMalfa cared deeply for the people he served and worked tirelessly to hold the government to it’s word to fix our failing forests, build water storage, and leave people to be free to choose what’s best for themselves.”

In Butte County, he will be remembered for the work he spent protecting the interests of the victims of the 2018 Camp Fire. He advocated for protections and extra funding through the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, noting that progress had not been halted in the face of back-to-back disasters.

Recently, his work focused on adding provisions to the Permit Act that were also included in his bill titled the Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act. In December, LaMalfa spoke to Congress about the realities of California fire season and the importance of ensuring our firefighters have access to the tools we need to protect our towns.

He was deeply beloved by many of his constituents and will be missed.