HISTORY AT A GLANCE

On Dec. 5, 1948, The Hood Canal News asked its readers, "Can Belfair afford to lose its volunteer fire department? While the work and services of the department are well known by virtually every resident of the Belfair area, there are many who will be surprised to learn that the Belfair Fire Department is BROKE and may have to be discontinued unless citizens rally round with funds and aid necessary to continue the much-needed fire department."

The local fire department was funded by community donations, but had not actively solicited money for quite some time. According to the article, the department was also under-staffed and could use new volunteers who "have the ability to work hard with no recompense save personal satisfaction, stay interested in that work despite the personal expense, and work as often as needed during hot weather and cold." Volunteer firefighters paid all their own expenses, and "worked hard to make old and worn equipment last a little longer."

The department needed more and newer equipment, and money for overhead and expenses. "You can't tear off to a fire at 60 mph in the middle of winter with a cold engine; therefore, the fire hall must be kept warm all winter long. Hose, nozzles, and other equipment must be maintained, repaired, and replaced.

"There is no question of the merit and value of the department, for in the months of its operation, the volunteers have answered fire calls and emergency calls of all types. Here are a few facts to bring home the importance of maintaining the department: Since the formation of the fire department, there has not been a single important loss of property caused by fire. The department has answered all types of calls quickly, both inside and outside the bounds it serves, all without any recompense for putting out a fire or saving a life or protecting a home. The department is on-call 24 hours of every day, and its equipment is available to the community – including a life-saving resuscitator, which not even the county seat of Shelton can offer its citizens."

Belfair voters had approved a tax to fund the department, which would take effect in March 1949. But unless money could be provided between December and March, there would be no department to fund. The article urged readers to "RIGHT NOW dig down deep and send a sizeable donation to the Belfair Fire Department."

One week later, $180 had been donated to the "Fire Department Existence Fund," and The Hood Canal News commented that "180 bucks is a good deal of money. It will buy 1,800 glasses of beer, 3,600 candy bars, 18,000 pieces of gum, but it won't buy Belfair the fire protection it needs. While it will pay almost all the repair bill to put the fire truck's water pump back in shape, it won't cover other necessary equipment repairs."

On Dec. 15, Belfair Fire Chief Walter Eddy told the newspaper that the department would be able to maintain a full schedule of fire protection for the entire Belfair area thanks to recent donations from residents of Belfair and nearby communities. While encouraging additional donations, The Hood Canal News celebrated the announcement: "What nicer Christmas present could a community receive than to know that through its own financial efforts and through the physical and financial efforts of its under-praised volunteer firemen, its residents and homes are protected from fire at a time of year when fire danger is most prevalent?"

In its campaign to save the department, The Hood Canal News had commented that "Summer residents are invited to note that their interest in the canal and their summer retreats should prompt them to join the permanent residents of the area in contributing to the department fund." On Jan 3, 1949, the Belfair Fire Department responded to a house fire in the area of Sunset Beach. "The roaring flames lighted the sky as bright as day, and the fire had nearly destroyed the house – an unoccupied summer home – before the alarm was even sent in. The Belfair Fire Department made a fast run over four miles of icy pavement and operated very efficiently, keeping the blaze under control to the extent of protecting nearby buildings."

■ Jan Parker is a researcher for the Mason County Historical Museum. She can be reached at [email protected]. Membership in the Mason County Historical Society is $25 per year. For a limited time, new members will receive a free copy of the book "Shelton, the First Century Plus Ten."