The Daily Republic
DELMONT, S.D. — It was all sunshine and smiles in Delmont on Sunday.
Thanks to a donation from the Lyons family, the Delmont Fire Department is fully equipped for the first time since a tornado ripped through the small town on May 10.
Autumn Lyons and her son, Cyrus, 9, of Sturgis, arrived in Delmont on Sunday with some members of the Sturgis Fire Department to deliver a wildland engine and complete the town’s search to replace what it lost in the tornado.
Delmont Fire Chief Elmer Goehring thanked the Lyons family for their generosity and was happy to have access to all of the equipment needed to fight fires in the district.
“We’ve got all of the trucks that we had before now, so it makes you feel confident that you can go out and do the job that you need to do if need be,” Goehring said.
Following the devastating tornado, members of the Delmont Fire Department returned to their brand new fire hall only to find the roof partially collapsed. The damage to the building left the department needing about $30,000 to $40,000 in repairs to its pumper truck; its tanker truck and wildland engine were totaled, and the rescue van needed to be replaced.
All but one of those trucks had been repaired or replaced since the May 10 tornado, and with a little help from the Lyons family, the Delmont Fire Department is in the best possible position to fight all kinds of fires since before the town was decimated by the May 10 natural disaster.
The Lyons’ donation will help the Delmont Rural Fire Protection District fight wildfires in parts of Charles Mix, Douglas and Hutchinson counties. The truck, which saves the district about $30,000 by not having to replace the vehicle, can carry up to 200 gallons of water to combat a wildfire.
Autumn Lyons decided to donate the truck after hearing about all of the damage the department received from the tornado.
The truck belonged to Brent Lyons, Autumn’s husband, who died in 2014 after years of service with the Sturgis Fire Department. Lyons used the truck in the summers as a private contractor with his business, Lyons Wildfires, but Autumn Lyons decided it was time to find the truck a new home.
“I read somewhere that they lost a few of their trucks, so I knew that this would be the best place to make its home,” Lyons said.
Lyons said it felt wonderful to give back to the community of Delmont. Although it was her husband’s dream to pass the truck along to their son, Cyrus, one day, Lyons said she and Cyrus spoke and decided it was best to pass the truck along to Delmont.
For their generosity, the Delmont Fire Department gave the Lyons family and the Sturgis Fire Department, who volunteered to deliver the vehicle, a plaque with a drawing from Mitchell-based artist David Finnell in honor of the heroism of firefighters. It was Delmont volunteer firefighter Dwight Brenner who had the idea to present the drawings.
But before offering the Lyons family and the Sturgis Fire Department gifts of appreciation, the Delmont firefighters received a tour of the truck from 9-year old Cyrus. Cyrus showed the department every inch of the truck, including compartments for firefighting equipment, the fire hose atop the vehicle, and even showed the firefighters how to start the vehicle.
Rebuilding Delmont
As the local fire department finds itself close to where it was on May 9 and soon to move back into its new fire hall, much of the town has yet to rebuild.
Throughout the center of Delmont where the bulk of the homes were destroyed, only a handful of new homes have been built in their stead.
One resident who decided to rebuild is volunteer firefighter Russ Dozark, who lost his home for the second time in 26 years after the tornado. The first time was a fire in 1989.
Dozark, who has been staying at the home of Delmont Mayor Mae Gunnare while his home is rebuilt, said about 75 people have left the town for good after their homes were destroyed.
Dozark also said the town bar and market may close after the mass departure of residents who lost their homes, but he hopes the town can stay strong enough to survive.
“It’s still a good place to live, and we want to keep a small town alive,” Dozark said about he and his wife’s decision to remain in Delmont after 36 years in the community.
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