I would like to take a moment to thank our local Volunteer Fire Department. Our city was under attack by high winds and a raging fire last Sunday, but these firemen ran toward the danger and risked their lives to save human life, structures, and livestock. I can’t say enough about how proud I am and how much respect I have for this group of brave firemen.
Our chief is top-notch. He was able to direct seven different departments, along with twenty trucks and two graders, to tackle this raging fire. It takes someone like Chief Colter to coordinate these firemen during all the chaos and maintain composure to accomplish the goals. He is a valuable asset to the city as well as the Volunteer Fire Department.
I would like to extend my thanks to the seven fire departments that assisted Sayre in getting this fire under control and stopped before reaching 1170 Road. A huge thank you to Erick, Texola, Sweetwater, Berlin, Cheyenne, Elk City, Canute, Carter, and Delhi departments that had our backs when we needed them most. Thank you to Carl Don from Beckham County District #1 for the road graders.
A big thank you to Carl Billey, who is part of the Sayre Emergency Management team, for doing an outstanding job coordinating and getting valuable information out to the public. Thank you to Lonnie Risenhover of Beckham County Emergency Management for opening the Activity Barn as an evacuation shelter. I am very proud of both of their efforts and dedication during this crisis.
I do want to set the record straight. There have been many rumors circulating on social media that the City of Sayre Landfill had a controlled burn. This is a false statement and is simply not true. This type of fire is not allowed at a landfi ll, just as smoking near gas pumps is not allowed.
There was a fire on February 23 involving a brush pile on city land near the landfill. This fire was not a controlled burn; it was set by something or someone. According to the landfill supervisor, there was no one or no brush brought into the landfill on that day. The fence was cut along the west side of the property where the fire occurred, and ATV tracks were discovered on the property. This tract of land is private property, and signs are posted “No Trespassing.”
If anyone has any information concerning this matter, I would encourage you to call the Sayre Police Department with any information.
