Florence Fire Department hosts U.P. Firefighter’s Tournament this weekend

Sarah Giddings

Volunteers in Florence County have been providing fire protection for 100 years and will be celebrating that centennial in conjunction with the 123rd annual U.P. Firefighter’s Tournament, which returns to Florence, this weekend, July 28-30.

Fire service was provided in some capacity for the town since its founding in 1882, but the group was organized as the official Florence Volunteer Fire Department in 1917. Since that time, the department has gone from one fire truck to six trucks and a UTV. In the past 100 years, nineteen men have served as chief and countless others have dedicated themselves to serving the community during emergencies. Current chief Joe Witynski has been with the department since 1988 and has served as chief since 1993.

For the full story, see this week’s edition of The Florence Mining News.