WV State Fire Marshal’s Office celebrates 115th anniversary

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office is celebrating its 115th anniversary Monday.

The office was established by the state legislature on July 15, 1909 and was originally staffed by four fire marshals.

Current State Fire Marshal Kenneth Tyree, Jr., wrote a letter commemorating the anniversary.

Tyree said those original four “brave and dedicated people” covered the entire state, traveled many miles by train, car and on horseback and spent a lot of time away from their homes “because they believed in protecting the residents of this state from fire and its dangers.”

“I cannot mark this anniversary without recognizing the many whose shoulders we, as an agency, stand on: our families, the statewide fire service and law enforcement community of colleagues that we have had the pleasure to be associated with through our collaborations, partnership, and service to protect, to keep safe and help limit the risk from fire and other emergencies by our service in fire and explosion investigation, fire code inspections, fire code plans reviews, fire department evaluations, and various regulatory and licensing services,” Tyree said.

Tyree mentioned that Charles Ellison, the very first state fire marshal, was just 27 years old when he took office and set the precedent for all of the marshals to follow.

He also mentioned that the late Walter Smittle III, who passed away on August 25, 2022, was the longest serving marshal to date with 26 years of service from 1974 to 1999.

“He [Smittle] left a legacy and a mark of advancement not only on this State but throughout this Nation as one of the most decorated State Fire Marshals this nation has known,” Tyree said.

Tyree said he is closing in on his 10th year of service within the agency and to West Virginia.

“I am humbled and honored to be the 19th State Fire Marshal in West Virginia’s history in a land and state that I love,” Tyree said.

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