Littleton Fire Engine Comes to Aid Wiley Fire Department and Southeast Colorado

(Wiley, CO) A donated fire engine from the Littleton Fire Rescue Department arrived just in time for Wiley Fire. According to Wiley Fire Chief Jim Farmer the 1989 Pierce Lance fire engine donated by Littleton Fire Rescue has been very active in a short period of time.

“We never anticipated how needed this engine was going to be to the region. In ten days, the engine was on major fires throughout the area, including a structure fire in Bent County and the Lamar Apartment complex fire. In one 24-hour period the engine and crew were paged for mutual aid and traveled over 120 miles for structure protection in Baca County, for the Brice Fire, and on the return trip assisted City of Las Animas and Bent County Fire. Upon returning to the station after an 18 hour day was called out again for a brake fire on a semi-truck on (US HWY) 287,” said Chief Farmer.

Hoping to introduce the engine to the community during Wiley Hay Days, June 17 -19, Wiley Fire has had the engine in service earlier than anticipated. According to Farmer, “Our first crew training happened on a Friday night and Sunday afternoon the engine had it first structure fire in our service and has been active ever since with nearly twenty runs in about twenty days.”

According to the notification award from Littleton Fire Rescue Division Chief Doug Ireland, “This was a very difficult decision, as there are many department that have an obvious need for this vehicle. This vehicle, generated a lot of interest within the fire community with inquires coming from five different states.”

According to Wiley Fire Chief Jim Farmer, “I can’t express my appreciation enough to Littleton Fire Rescue for their donation and one area fire chief put it best when he called it a Godsend.”

The engine was requested from Littleton before Wiley had an engine damaged during the 14,000 acre Fort Lyon Fire that also resulted in three firefighter injuries, including Farmer.

Wiley Fire Department covers an area of 90 square miles, including a portion of US Hwy 287 & Hwy 50, the town of Wiley, portions of Bent and Prowers Counties, and provides mutual aid to departments in Southeast Colorado.