14th annual Firehouse Fling event planned for Saturday

An all-day “Fling” is planned in Tecopa on Saturday.

The 14th annual Firehouse Fling at the Tecopa Hot Springs Resort will help raise funds for the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District, Tecopa’s local volunteer fire and emergency management service organization. Many prizes, live entertainment and other fun will fill the day.

On the center stage will be Las Vegas’ all-female Celtic band, Killian’s Angels, who will play at the Tecopa Hot Springs Resort starting at 2 p.m. The band returns to the stage for a second set at 7:30 p.m.

The annual fling will feature “Time Traveler Tales” by Christy Horne and music by Pablo Tecopa and Friends.

Attendees will also find a flea market for treasure hunting, arts and crafts and activities for kids, along with a silent auction and raffle for a handmade quilt by honorary firefighter Marlys Skarry and other prizes.

A silent auction will have several items up for grabs: “hot laps at the Spring Mountain Motor Speedway in Pahrump; overnight stays at The Oasis in Death Valley and the Shoshone Inn; dinner and day passes at Delight’s Hot Spa in Tecopa, a photography workshop with renowned photographer Carlo Roncancio; a collection of signed, first-edition books by local authors including Claire Vaye Watkins’ newest ‘I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness’; a print of a photo-realistic Death Valley landscape painting by acclaimed artist Mark Hamlin” and other prizes.

Raffle prizes include a handmade quilt and others such as hand-crafted artisan soap, Death Valley National Park swag and day passes to Delight’s Hot Spa. Other prizes include SIFPD T-shirts and more. Tickets are currently on sale, and people don’t have to be present to win.

For information about purchasing raffle tickets for the handmade quilt and other prizes, call the SIFPD Firehouse at 760-852-4130 or Robin Flinchum at 760-852-4941.

A new lemonade stand will be available at this year’s fling. The water used will be from the Tecopa Clean Drinking Water Kiosk, a vending station that provides the only potable water to residents and visitors. The kiosk is a not-for-profit project that is under the supervision of the SIFPD. All the proceeds from the booth will go to keep the community resource going.

The event is set to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tecopa Hot Springs Resort at 860 Tecopa Hot Springs Road on Saturday.

The Southern Inyo Fire Protection District is a small, volunteer fire and EMS service in Tecopa and serves a 1,200-square-mile area that encompasses Shoshone, Death Valley Junction and Charleston View.

The SIFPD’s EMTs train and work with staff at Desert View Hospital in Pahrump.

The SIFPD is funded by a small local parcel tax, though it doesn’t cover the cost of keeping the crew and vehicles “ready to strike 24/7”, a release stated.

The annual Firehouse Fling is an essential fundraiser to keep the SIFPD prepared to respond to emergencies.