Missouri firefighters honored at state capitol following devastating natural disasters

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Following an unprecedented amount of wildfires and deadly tornadoes earlier this month, Missouri honored firefighters Thursday at the state capitol.

Firefighters from all across the state gathered in Jefferson City today to be honored. Missouri’s annual Firefighters Day honors the first responders who run into danger to keep us safe. This year, it comes following devastating natural disasters.

On March 14, hundreds of wildfires broke out across the state, directly followed by a strong storm that caused several tornadoes. Twelve people died and two firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty that week.

Dry conditions and strong winds led to hundreds of wildfires breaking out across the state. Areas near the Lake of the Ozarks were evacuated as wildfires threatened people’s homes. The state is still finalizing the exact number of fires that day, but early numbers estimate there were about 1,000 wildfires just this month.

Just as firefighters were able to get it under control, deadly tornadoes struck.

Rolla Fire Chief Jeff Breen describes responding to what the National Weather Service believes was an EF 2 tornado with winds up to 120 miles per hour.

“We were getting calls so quick you couldn’t even answer them fast enough on the radio,” Breen said. “We can’t handle this alone, we need partners.”

Along with state leaders, Missouri Fire Marshal Tim Bean honored all those men and women. Bean said 80% of Missouri’s firefighters are volunteers, and all of them expect nothing in return for their bravery.

“Remarkable work by remarkable people,” Bean said.

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