By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff
Less than a month after the May 2025 election, in which local voters rejected a range of area fire district levies, some Sagle residents are gathering signatures for a petition demanding the return of firefighters to the Careywood station, which has been left without staff.
Dated June 6, the petition — posted at change.org/CareywoodFire — states: “As of this morning, Careywood is without local fire service. Following the failure of the recent levy, the fire chief made the decision to remove our firefighters from the Careywood station, with the approval of the Selkirk Fire District Commissioners.”
Selkirk Fire Chief Jeff Armstrong — who leads the Northside, Sagle and Westside fire districts — announced on May 21 that paid staff in Careywood would be taken off the job around the beginning of June, enabling the fire service to save “a substantial amount in overtime and personnel costs,” with those funds “shifted immediately to the maintenance of our aging fleet, fire station repairs and equipment replacement.”
The Sagle Fire District levy on the May ballot asked for a permanent increase for an override of $750,000, resulting in a tax increase to $122 per year per $100,000 of taxable value. Voters in the district rejected the levy by a margin of 62.84% to 37.16%, with 1,253 against and 741 in favor. As of June 11, the petition had gathered 133 verified signatures.
“This decision has left our community without direct, local emergency response,” the petition stated. “In rural areas like ours, response times are everything, and removing our local team puts lives, homes, and property at higher risk.
“We understand that budget challenges exist. But removing our fire protection should never be the solution,” the petition added. “Careywood residents deserve safety, transparency, and a voice in decisions that affect our survival in emergencies.”
Supporters of the petition called on Selkirk Fire District commissioners to:
• Reinstate local fire coverage at the Careywood station;
• Involve the community in future planning and funding efforts;
• Prioritize rural response coverage in all operational decisions.
“These firefighters were more than a service,” the petition stated. “They were our neighbors, our lifeline and our peace of mind. Careywood deserves better.”
