Fighting fire with … fun?

By CHANSE WATSON

Managing Editor

MULLAN — The 48th Mullan Fireman’s Fun Festival is once again on the horizon and looks to be just as entertaining as previous years.

The annual fundraiser for the Mullan Volunteer Fire Department has historically brought together teams of firefighters from all the local districts to compete for the title of top squad and a cash prize, which has always been donated back to MVFD.

“It’s our biggest fundraiser, since we are all volunteers,” MVFD firefighter and treasurer Deanne Johnson said. “There’s a lot of things we actually need to get for our fire department this year because we have brought on extra volunteers and now we’re trying to figure out turnouts for everybody and they are very expensive.”

The winner of the festival is decided by how each participating team does throughout four separate challenges. These challenges include the Make-n-Break relays (hydrant and truck), Bucket Brigade relay and the firefighter’s version of tug-of-war.

During the Make-n-Break relays, teams must assemble a fire hose, hook it up to a source of water (in the first round, to a hydrant, then to a fire truck in the next), knock over targets with water, then disassemble the hose as quickly as possible.

The Bucket Brigade challenge has participants handoff buckets of water to each other up a small scaffold then dump them out as quicly as possible. This takes both teams and the audience back in time by showing how fires used to be put out before modern equipment.

The last challenge is the tug-of-war competition that pits two teams against each other with the goal of pushing a barrel on a cable with dueling fire hoses.

Although the fire department teams are the favorites every year to take the top prizes, the festival allows anyone to create a team and race against the pros.

“We encourage the public to come out and make teams,” Johnson said.

Last year, the United States Forest Service team took first place, beating out Idaho Department of Lands and Shoshone County Fire District No. 1.

First place prize is $120, second place is $80 and third place is $40.

The July 28-29 event also sports a Saturday morning parade at 11 a.m., Sunday morning kids games at 11 a.m. and breakfast served from 9-11 a.m. at the Fire Hall on both days.

Challenges will begin at noon Saturday near City Park following the parade down Earle Street. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase.

For more information or to inquire about signing up, call Fire Chief Steve Trogden at 208-682-6144, Mullan City Hall at 208-744-1515 or message MVFD on their Facebook page.