Current Commissioners

   James Gleed arrived in Lower Naches in 1878. He recognized the natural timothy hay growing in the area and developed a haying business that spread throughout the Pacific Northwest. His farming expanded into fruit ranching. He was one of the founders of the Naches Canal Company, known as the Gleed ditch. The Gleed area now encompasses proximally twelve square miles and a population of nearly 3000.

World War II brought to this rural area the need to protect those residents. Fire wardens were appointed. The need for a fire truck was realized and was purchased through donations from the citizens. A 1937 International Truck was acquired and a 500 gpm pump was mounted on the front. This was the beginning of the community's actions to protect its citizens and structures from peril.

In August 1947, a special election was held and 74 of 77 votes favoring the formation of an official fire district were cast. Through the efforts of Mike Bertsch the Lower Naches Fire Department #6 had its first Board of Commissioners meeting. George Eschbach, Harold Dobie and Thomas L. Breum served as the first commissioners. On November I0, 1947 Mike Bertsch was elected Fire Chief of Yakima County Fire Protection District #6. A fire district had been formed; commissioners and fire chief now needed to select land for a fire house.

James Gleed had a piece of land he had used since 1879 for his hay business called Gleed Siding, later to be known as Gleed Station. Through a series of quit claims it became the site of the first Gleed Fire Station. The sequences of the claims were: The Yakima County Horticultural Union (evidently having gained ownership from J. Gleed) quit claimed to Harry F. White in 1943 for $10.00. White quit claimed to Charles B. Stroll in 1944 for $10.00. Stroll sold to Fred W. Zike and he warranty deeded the property to the Lower Naches Fire Department in 1946 for $1.00.

The Lower Naches School Board donated an old barn not needed to house horses ridden to school in these modern times. Yakima County supplied materials to build a concrete foundation, with labor supplied by the firemen. In 1952 the original building was moved back and a new front was built to house the trucks. In 1958 an upstairs classroom was added. The Gleed Library moved into a portion of the building in 1960.

In 1956 a portion of the Naches Fire District was merged with Gleed because the location made it more accessible to Gleed. This brought the area served to twelve square miles. 

A second fire station (Suntides Station) was built in 1975 to meet the demand of increased population. This station put any location in the district within five minutes response time.

Firemen of Gleed Fire Department served on a volunteer basis until 1992 when the Commissioners decided to pay some of the firemen a monthly stipend for the steadily increasing workload needed to meet State requirements. This has made it possible for the department to be well-equipped.

State safety requirements, training standards and reporting techniques dictated a need for more space. A study determined that expansion of existing facilities was unfeasible. Land was purchased from Apple Valley Fruit Company and in 1994 a bond was passed to build a state-of the-art fire station. In May 1996, looking to the future, a facility that included four truck bays, training room, office space, four sleeping rooms and a living quarters to accommodate 24-hour on duty firemen was completed.

The meeting room at the Suntides Station was leased to the Sheriff's Department as a precinct station in December 1996. The original Gleed Fire Station was sold in May 1997. In 200I the meeting room at Suntides was developed into a physical fitness area for the Gleed firefighters.