• Highs, lows and long days highlight local sacrifice

The area just enjoyed a packed schedule of events and celebrations not just related to annual Fourth of July celebrations but also added significance with the America 250 observance. And maybe at one time Star Valley was off the beaten path and a hidden gem, but that is no longer the case. Attendance at any of the parades this past weekend showed that the area is well known to tourists, visitors and extended family alike. 

But while the thousands of people enjoyed their weekend, it is a silent and dedicated group of individuals who not only keep us safe, attend to us when we are hurt and do the gritty work of society, they also are community pillars who are stretched on weekends like this one. Here is a look at the three main fire stations in the valley and a glimpse of their Independence Day weekend. 

Alpine Fire

“We just had a lot of calls from July 3 through the weekend,” said Chief Mike Vogt. On the Fourth of July we had a motorcycle wreck with injuries and the ambulance and to come from Thayne. Then we had a fire alarm at a home which turned out to be false but we still had to respond.”

Vogt noted that the sheer variety of calls tests these volunteer units.  

“There was another dirt bike accident and the person who was injured had to be brought out by an off-road vehicle from Thayne,” he continued. “The patient had a head injury and a back injury and severe bruising on her thigh. Life flight was on their way and the Star Valley Search & Rescue showed up to try and help with a landing zone. Star Valley Health arrived with medics but we had to load the patient in a basket because life flights couldn’t land and then we transported her to the airport.”

And while the parades are the fun part of the weekend, it is common for calls to happen during those celebratory moments. 

“During the parade we got the call to go Sheep Gulch for the drowning,” Vogt added. “We left the parade and then dispersed and searched. S&R got there with drones and boats. After 8:30 we were released.”

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Then the return to the festivities where the fire department helped put out grass fires started by fireworks. 

“We are just out there all the time especially on weekends like this one,” Vogt noted. “People can see where their tax money is going.”

Thayne Fire

For the Town of Thayne, the celebrations also started early and went late and was mixed with a wide swing of emotions. 

“Being America 250 we tried to do a bit more to make it special,” said Thayne Fire Chief Tedd Jenkins. “We went and set up the dunk tank for SVI Day as well and we did some fun stuff that comes with this job. Having a water fight with kids. It’s fun when you can outgun McKay Erickson.”

But tragedy comes with the job and like the Alpine crew, the Thayne volunteers had a fatality during their calls as well. 

“That afternoon went from the highs and fun to the deepest, darkest lows with a four-year old fatality on an ATV accident,” Jenkins said.  “It was a rough one. It rattled a few of us. That poor family will never be the same and that’s what I told some of my guys. Let’s go home and process this and start in the morning and do the Fourth of July stuff.”

By 5:30 a.m. the next morning, the Thayne Fire Department was prepping their annual pancake breakfast as well as what might have been the largest parade in the history of the valley. 

“It gets bigger every year,” Jenkins explained. “It was the biggest of my career. There was barely enough room for them to make their way down the road.”

The firemen also enjoy the fundraisers that come with the weekend. All three area chiefs said that local support is high and they feel appreciated while handling difficult assignments. 

“The last several years we’ve done a street carnival and done a fundraiser lunch,” Jenkins added. “It’s a nice after-parade thing and this year we built a little mock house with a fire in the window and the kids could squirt it out. Robbie Knowlton, who was the Grand Marshall this year, I had the honor of introducing him and he’s been on the department since 1999.”

The evening capped off with a dance and patriotic music but Sunday would be another quick return to service as the Thayne crew responded to a single vehicle rollover by the Strawberry turnoff. In this case, they were spared a second fatality in three days. 

“One person and a couple of dogs were involved with that,” he said. “We were very lucky with that one. She was ejected and it just wasn’t her time.”

In between all of the calls the firemen set up the fireworks and also put out the fires that start from those being set off by others.  

“The Fourth of July is a love/hate relationship,” Jenkins described. “We love it because we get to show off to the community and set off the fireworks, but the increase in traffic and people and such, the calls go up. There’s never a Fourth of July where we aren’t called out at least once. This year it was three times.”

Despite the challenges, Jenkins praised the communities for their support. 

“We’re well supported in our area and we’re in the process of getting a new truck and also building a new building,” he added. “If anyone has questions or concerns I’m happy to educate people on why we need that. The trucks are getting so big and so long, that 45-year old fire hall is not sufficient. Lincoln County is the fastest growing county in Wyoming and we’re in the fastest growing area.”

“As much as we are called out, the EMS is called out even more and we couldn’t do what we do without their support. The people in the valley fill our boot at our fundraiser and we sure enjoy the people of our district and the support they give us. We want to give them the most professional service possible.” 

Afton Fire

You may recognize some of the faces that are always out driving community events and protecting the public and that is certainly part of the goal for the Afton Fire Department. 

“On Friday we had two calls but we also did the fish scramble as part of the Afton Freedom Festival,” said Chief Cody Wilkes. “We also responded to a grass fire and an iPhone crash detection up Bitter Creek. It turned out to be a false alarm but we still have to respond like it’s not.”

After a busy Friday, the Afton crew was cooking pancakes with materials provided by Broulims. “They supplied all the food and we just showed up with our grills and cooked, they stepped up big,” Wilkes said of the local grocer.  

“After that we had a motorcycle wreck that we responded to and then we went and started setting up fireworks at the fairgrounds. Then we went to the parade and were there from 6-11 p.m. with the fireworks display and clean up afterwards.”

When the main fireworks were done, the Afton firemen were still busy for the rest of the weekend. 

“At about 11:30 at night we had a grass fire in Fairview,” Wilkes continued. “Then at 12:30 in the morning we had a structure fire at Rock Bridge. Then we went back on Sunday morning to clean up the fireworks with some daylight. Then finally we did an honorary ride with Ronnie Jensen who passed away so we took him for one last ride on Sunday afternoon.”

Seemingly there is no lack of details but the fire crew try and check off all the boxes. Wilkes noted the support in the upper valley is very strong. 

“I know that we get a lot of support from people in Afton, Fairview and this end of the valley,” he said. “Our pancake breakfast we had a line of people and served about 85 pounds of pancake batter. We do that as a donation and then we give it to someone else. This year we donate that to Ryker Dana for his fundraiser.” 

“A lot of the support comes from people seeing us doing these kinds of things. I like to see us out in the public other than an emergency. And I want people to see what we do with the donations we get.”

The support also comes in the form of thank you gestures.  

“The Barnes family, they cooked us 21 racks of ribs for us for our training meetings,” Wilkes concluded. “ I think there’s a lot of support. We have a truck replacement coming up and we have to use all of that to get those kinds of things.  We try and do what we can and it gets a little overwhelming at times. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”