Boaters turn heroes during small fire on Stillwater Lake

A small island on Lower Stillwater Lake near Olney caught fire from a smoldering campfire on July 23.

Several residents were on the lake at the time and helped put out the fire and assist with transporting firefighters across the lake to the island.   

Jim Buckley was boating with Bruce Schelling when they first noticed the fire.  

“It looked like it had been smoldering there for a while. We emptied out our food and drink coolers and used them as buckets until the Fire Department was transported to the scene,” Buckley said.  

Two other longtime Olney residents on a separate pontoon boat assisted in the transport.  

By then, Buckley said, “We had made a lot of progress. That little island could have been gone without me and Bruce.” 

The Olney Fire Department expressed gratitude to first responders and boat owners for their assistance and reminded people to extinguish campfires responsibly.   

However, Buckley’s story of heroism doesn’t end there. According to Buckley, both he and Schilling also assisted in saving four people who fell through the ice on April 12, 2023.  

The incident also occurred at Lower Stillwater Lake.  

“Bruce and I were ice fishing when some people showed up with sleds and fell through. We jumped in the water to save them and also went to shore to retrieve a kayak to help,” Buckley said.  

While Buckley said it was “kind of weird that something happened with me and Bruce there again,” it is no doubt fortunate as well.  

    Firefighters put out a fire on an island in Stillwater Lake. (Olney Fire Department photo)