With lingering drought conditions paired with high winds, most of Beckham County is vulnerable to wildfires on some days, aging buildings, and human error, which have led to other fiery infernos.
Those things have been a driver in calls for almost all the Beckham County fire departments.
Sayre Fire Department Chief Colter Sanders says five additional volunteer firefighters would bring his department fully-staffed, which could be beneficial as the risks increase.
“We are an all-volunteer force,” Sanders advised. “Elk City is the only department in Beckham County with full-time staff. However, I currently have a roster of fifteen, and my guys are as dedicated to this department as their fulltime jobs. That is true for most of the other small volunteer fire departments. With the creation of the Beckham County Fire Task Force, we can all work closely together as partners and teammates. It is nice. I have been chief since 2018, early 2019, and we have been at fifteen most of that time. We have five positions open, and we would like to have them filled if we can find people who can attend meetings and show up consistently. A volunteer fire department has to know they can count on their roster.”
Like most of western Oklahoma, Sanders and the crew have been busy fighting wildfires recently.
In October each year, they borrow a smoke trailer to visit Sayre Public Schools and educate children on household fire dangers. But Sanders likes to take opportunities throughout the year to remind people.
He said, “Don’t leave things out on your kitchen counter when cooking. Plenty of fires come from things like that or putting paper plates in the oven. Make sure you have good batteries in your smoke detectors. Sayre is not currently on a fire ban, but fire conditions are still high. If you will do a controlled ban, please call the Sayre Police Department and inform them. That way, we are notified. Also, look at your weather. You may be burning on a calm day, but the next day may have high winds. We don’t want embers from yesterday’s fire being scattered in forty miles-per-hour winds.”
