CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office is celebrating a major milestone.
Monday marks 115 years since the office was established by the state Legislature and staffed by four fire marshals.
The office has expanded since Charles Ellison lead the office as the first state fire marshal at the age of 27 back in 1909. Walter Smittle then took over for 26 years from 1974 to 1999 as the longest serving state fire marshal to date. Smittle, who died in 2022, was one of the most decorated state Fire Marshals in the nation.
Current state Fire Marshal Ken Tyree told MetroNews transportation has been among the biggest changes since the office was established.
“We’ve come a long way in 115 years starting with four brave individuals and some staff members that covered the entire state by train, car and horseback. Now we are about 53 strong,” Tyree said.
Tyree said the goal of the office is to make sure every community is protected.
“Fire code enforcement, ensuring safe buildings, safe communities, fire investigations as we’ve always continued to have, fire department evaluations, ensuring that every community has a fire department that’s serving them and serving them well,” he said.
Tyree said even after all these years, there’s still room for growth.
“From the standpoint of trying to keep people safe from fire and figure out the things that cause fire to help share with the public to limit those community risks is vitally important. We feel like we’re a part of that and always trying to improve,” he said. “One fire and one fire fatality is too many.”