Fireman's festival a blast!
Photo by LARRY PASSANTINO The Idaho Department of Lands team holds up the hose and competes in the tug-of-war event.
Photo by Jonnie Nelson. Thats one way to cool off! A United States Forest Service team member gives some children a little respite from the heat.
Photo by Larry Passantino. Tug-of-war participants in MVFD gear hold the hose steady.
Photo by Jonnie Nelson. A United States Forest Service team member gives a thumbs up after he hit all the targets during the make and break relay.
Photo by Larry Passantino. The Mullan Volunteer Fire Department team (from top- Chris Morris, Pat Johnson, Dale Stepro Jr., and Dale Stepro) moves quickly in the bucket brigade challenge.
Photo by Tonia Foster. Kellogg JROTC presents the colors as MVFD Chief Pat Nolan (with assistance from Deanne Johnson and Chris Morris) presents memorial Fireman's flags and medals to the families of Roger Hoven and Daniel Erickson.
Photo by Larry Passantino. The Blazen Divias strut down Main Street in Mullan during the parade.
The 47th annual Mullan Fireman’s Fun Festival brought in roughly 500 people to the small Idaho town over the weekend to put some of the locals fire fighting skills to the test!
The weekend’s festivities included a parade, fireman game competitions, a quilt show, a raffle, and even the Mullan All-Class Reunion.
This year’s parade was substantially larger than last years and included some classic car entries.
After the parade Saturday morning, the Kellogg JROTC presented the colors during a memorial ceremony for the families of Roger Hoven and Daniel Erickson.
Hoven and Erikson were members of The Mullan Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) until they passed away last year.
Once the ceremony wrapped up, its was game on for the fireman’s games.
Events included the make and break relay, make and break hose to pump relay, bucket brigade, and the fireman’s version of ‘tug-o-war’ with a barrel on a cable that is moved by being shot with a fire hose. Shoshone County Fire District No.1 out of Osburn started strong early in the day by winning the first make and break relay, but the U.S. Forest Service team took gold in the hose to pump relay and the bucket brigade for an overall point lead to win the games.
All teams that placed received a cash prize, which they all gave back to MVFD.
During the games, chanting and laughter could be heard from the younger spectators who would stand behind the relay race targets and wait for the over spray from the fire hose to cool them from the midday heat.
Speaking of heat, Patrick Nolan, MVFD Chief, said that everyone after the event “looked like lobsters.”
As for the day as a whole, Nolan was pleased with who showed up and this years attendance.
“We had a great group of people and they had fun with the water, which cooled people off.”
Sunday offered children a chance to get in on the fun as nearly 40 kids between the ages of 3 and 12 years old competed in the same, yet slightly downsized, fireman’s games.
Fire truck rides and playing in the water were also a highlight for Sunday’s participants.
The group of coordinators, who referred to themselves as the Magnificent 7, would like to thank everyone who came out and made last weekend such a huge success.
They would also like to express their appreciation for all the participants and sponsors that made the festivities possible.
The Fireman games
team rankings are:
1st — United States Forest Service
2nd — Idaho Department of Lands out of Cataldo
3rd — Shoshone County Fire District No. 1
4th — Team Blueberry Pancakes
MVFD competed, but did not place due to not being allowed to win the prize money.
The winners of
the raffle are:
$25 — Dale and Arlene Lumen
$50 — Beaver
$100 — Janice Sala
$200 — Nikole Cummings
River Tube – Carol Noordam