Vandals Hit Two Area Volunteer Fire Departments

Vandals have caused thousands of dollars in property damage at two rural fire stations in Eastern Oklahoma and investigators need your help finding the people responsible. <br> <br>As News on Six's

Sunday, March 7th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Vandals have caused thousands of dollars in property damage at two rural fire stations in Eastern Oklahoma and investigators need your help finding the people responsible.

As News on Six's Patrina Adger found out, the culprits nearly put one of the stations out of commission.

Assistant Chief Allen Henshaw with the Salem-Ryal Fire Department says, â€œSomeone broke into the Plainview Volunteer Fire station sometime last week and damaged property, They busted a truck windshield on a truck they recently purchased."

When word spread about the break in at Plainview's Fire Department, Salem Ryal's Fire Department made an appointment to have security at their station, but just hours before the new signs went up they were hit too.

Salem-Ryal's station is about 10 miles from Plainview's. Assistant Fire Chief Allen Henshaw says the vandals broke into his station through a back door around 10:00 Thursday night.

Once inside they caused extensive property damage, cutting battery and brake cables on four of their five fire trucks.

"These are the fuel lines that feed the truck," he said, â€œand that takes some time, that's not easy to cut. They used a set of bolt cutters."

The vandals nearly put Salem-Ryal's fire station out of commission by stealing their newest fire truck. The truck was recovered in a ditch a few miles away with a broken mirror.

But Henshaw says his volunteer staff of 14 is still able to respond to fires with the help of Henryetta and Dewar fire stations nearby, so residents shouldn't be concerned. It's not known if the same person hit both stations or why they would do this kind of damage which at Salem-Ryal's station alone is around $10,000.

If you have any information on either of the break-ins at Salem-Ryal's or Plainview's fire stations, you can also call the sheriff departments in McIntosh and Okmulgee Counties.

Salem-Ryal Fire Station
McIntosh County Sheriff's Office
918-689-2526

Plainview Fire Station
Okmulgee County Sheirff's Office
918-756-4311