Several departments converge in Galena to battle a structure fire Thursday morning.

According to a post from the Highlandville Fire Protection District, they were dispatched on a mutual aid request from the North Stone Northeast Barry County Fire Protection District for a structure fire inside the Galena City Limits. Shortly after their arrival, firefighters from Southern Stone County as well as Billings and Hurley reached the scene and began aggressively fighting the blaze. The crews were able to contain the fire and prevent it from getting to surrounding properties. The Stone County Ambulance District also helped at the scene. 

The complete post from the Highlandville District is below:

Thursday morning, Highlandville crews were dispatched on a mutual aid request from the North Stone Northeast Barry County Fire Protection District for a structure fire inside the City of Galena. Upon arrival, crews encountered a fully involved two-story residence. Due to limited manpower on scene, Highlandville assumed command and immediately began coordinating operations.
Additional support quickly arrived from Southern Stone County Fire Protection District, Billings Fire Protection District, and Hurley. Working together, crews mounted an aggressive exterior attack to contain the fire and protect surrounding property. Based on the prior condition and fire involvement of the structure, there were no safe interior firefighting opportunities.
Incidents like this are a reminder that volunteerism is declining nationwide. Rural fire protection districts depend heavily on volunteers who sacrifice time away from their families and careers to serve their neighbors. When staffing is limited, mutual aid partnerships become critical — and today those partnerships worked exactly as they should.  Also thank you Stone County Ambulance District for their standby. 
While Highlandville is fortunate to have strong community support and stable funding, the cost of fire apparatus, lifesaving equipment, protective gear, and ongoing training continues to rise every year. Departments must constantly upgrade equipment and capabilities to meet modern emergencies and keep both firefighters and citizens safe.