A new 500-pound bronze statue of a wildland firefighter was installed Thursday at the Montana State Firefighters Memorial in Laurel ahead of a ceremony this Saturday honoring firefighters who have died in the line of duty.
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The ceremony is held every year on the second Saturday in June. This year, the name of Ruben Romero will be added to the memorial. Romero was a wildland firefighter from Oregon who died of a heart attack while fighting the Bivens Fire in the Tobacco Root Mountains.
Jamie Swecker, board chair of the Montana State Firefighters Memorial, said Romero's sacrifice warranted recognition even though he was not a Montana resident.
"Even though he wasn't a Montana resident, he was fighting a fire in Montana and lost his life so we felt as a committee that they are here protecting our property, protecting our homes, so it's just a way to give recognition to that person for protecting what we love in our state," Swecker said.
The $70,000 statue was paid for through donations raised by the Montana State Firefighters Memorial committee.
Missoula Fire Chief Lonnie Rash will be the speaker at the ceremony, which begins at noon Saturday at the Montana State Firefighters Memorial next to the fire station in downtown Laurel.
