Canyon Creek fire board dismisses chief after 4-hour meeting

The Canyon Creek Rural Fire District board fired its chief Saturday during a stormy four-hour meeting that included irate community members and four 911 calls.

The board was not full due to Vice-Chair Jim Thomas and Treasurer Wendy Smith-Adamson having prior obligations, but the three members present qualified as a quorum. Chair Rick Grady called Saturday's special meeting.

Grady, trustee Max Eskildsen and secretary Ellen Eskildsen voted 3-0 to remove Fire Chief Jonathan Cunningham from his position and tabled its final agenda item of appointing Assistant Fire Chief Josh Dalzell as interim fire chief for 30 days.

The move leaves Canyon Creek's volunteer fire department without an appointed fire chief.

Grady cited that multiple incidents involving Cunningham led to the separation, but tensions have leaked into the community since the donation of a quick-response unit vehicle. The nine-member volunteer department accepted the vehicle prior to board approval, which was a violation of its bylaws, Grady said earlier.

Cunningham was not present at the meeting.

The change was not wanted by many of the roughly 25 members of the public in attendance and they voiced their opinions during the public comment portion that made others confrontational.

Firefighter John Keller said there were enough grounds for a recall of Grady and the Eskildsens due to incompetence.

This made another member yell out "You're wasting our time." This caused the board to take a five-minute recess and that is when Keller and the other member of the public began arguing.

It was not known if the arguments between community members were what caused Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton to show up, but four 911 calls were made to dispatch.

This story will be updated

Sonny Tapia is a criminal justice and education reporter for the Helena Independent Record.

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