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Fire fighter gives 50 years service to Williams Lake

Butch Rife served under six fire chiefs, three fire halls during his time with the department
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Williams Lake fireman Butch Rife retired this year after serving on the Williams Lake Fire Department for 50 years. A celebration was held in his honour recently. Angie Mindus photo

Very few people can say they’ve done what Butch Rife has.

“It’s rare. You just don’t see anyone putting in that many years of service,” said Williams Lake Fire Chief Des Webster. “It’s remarkable.”

Joining the Williams Lake Fire Department in 1963 at just 20 years old, Rife has served with six fire chiefs in three different fire halls over his 50 years as a volunteer fireman in Williams Lake.

“This is it — this is my last year,” Rife said while cooking hot dogs and smokies at the Williams Lake Fire Hall open house in May alongside other firefighters such as Kathy Ferguson.

“We are going to miss him terribly,” Ferguson added.

On Sept. 30 surrounded by family, friends and dignitaries, Rife was honoured for his dedication to service.

In more recent years Rife has been working dispatch on call-outs, but through his many decades of service he has also served as a captain, driver trainer, driver and always a firefighter.

“If they’re short of drivers I’ll still drive.”

Rife took an interest in the fire department as a child watching his dad, Ken Rife, and uncle, Claude Huston, help found the fire department in the 1950s.

“My dad was a fireman and he talked about fires when he came home. So when I came of age, I joined.”

To him, Rife said being a fire fighter means being on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“I try to make them all.”

Claudia Schalm, his partner of 25 years, is proud of his achievement and sees his dedication to the department firsthand.

“He still leaps out of bed at 3 a.m. on a dime,” she said in May.

For Rife, who attended about 150 call-outs a year in between being away on hunting and fishing trips, it’s been very rewarding.

“It went by so quick — where did all the time go?”

When Rife started in ’63, he served with Fire Chief Sid Pigeon, then Fire Chief Hank Fourt and Fire Chief Marce Poirier before Fire Chief Dale Moon took the position, followed by Fire Chief Randy Isfeld and current Fire Chief Des Webster.

“I think the department really turned around when Dale became chief,” Rife said. “It just got better and better from there — more professional, everyone has to be certified. I think we’re the best paid out fire department in British Columbia. We hear this from other fire departments. They’re all patting us on the back.”

The first fire truck Rife drove was the 1947 Chevy now retired and on display at the old fire hall (now the Cariboo Arts Centre) on Fourth Avenue and Borland Street.

“And I’ve driven every other truck the fire hall has had since.”

Rife said the toughest fire he ever fought over the years was the spectacular Centennial building fire formerly situated on the corner of Proctor Street and Second Avenue, where a backdraft blew up the building and sent Isfeld to hospital with serious injuries.

“Pieces of glass were hitting the truck where I was standing,” he said, noting it was a window casing that blew out and hit Isfeld’s leg and knee.

Besides the physical dangers, another known difficulty of the job is bearing witness to the aftermath of accidents and fires but Rife, who is naturally very laid back, has been able to manage that aspect of the job.

“A lot of the time you know the people — that’s life I guess, there’s nothing you can do about that.

“When I’m at the fire hall it’s all about the fire — when I’m home, I’m home. I just try not to think about it.”

Though the job can have its challenges, Rife said the rewards far outweigh anything else.

“The camaraderie among members is excellent — it’s just a fun place to be.”

Rife also commends the dedication of his fellow fire fighters, noting he’s only seen two members during his 50 years quit in the first month of training due to time commitments.

“The fire department is very fortunate to get good members. They’ve all turned out good.”

During his years of service to the fire department, Rife raised a family – his daughter Karyn Straza and her family and youngest son Mike Rife and his family live in Williams Lake and his oldest son Ken Rife and his family live in Kamloops. He also managed to find time to play ball and play and coach hockey for the Williams Lake Stampeders as well as coach his children’s teams as they grew up, but he found he couldn’t commit to other service clubs, although he tried.

“You can fit in coaching (and still be a member of the fire department), but you don’t have time for other things,” Rife said.

“I found I couldn’t do it because the fire department always came first.”

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Williams Lake Fire department fire fighter Kathy Ferguson (from left), Claudia Schalm and fire fighter Butch Rife man the barbecue at the fire hall’s annual open house in May. Rife has retired from the department after 50 years of service. Angie Mindus photo


Angie Mindus

About the Author: Angie Mindus

A desire to travel led me to a full-time photographer position at the Williams Lake Tribune in B.C.’s interior.
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