New West Virginia Fire Marshal Tony Carrico has said he wants to reduce the terrible toll fires take in West Virginia. That will be difficult; the risk of dying in a fire here is about 3.3 times the national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

It would be much worse but for the efforts of thousands of dedicated men and women who serve in volunteer fire departments. That may be a good place for Carrico to start.

The vast majority of West Virginians are served by volunteer fire departments, not paid units. By their dedication to training and their courage, the volunteers save countless lives every year. We know of situations here in the Northern Panhandle where people survived blazes solely because of the volunteers.

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