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TALENT — Jackson County Fire District 5 Chief Darin Welburn was fired by the board of directors in a special meeting Tuesday. Welburn had been chief since March 2015 and with the district for 29 years. “It’s a very sad day,” said board member Bill Robertson. He and other directors declined to elaborate on what led to the decision. All five directors voted for the without-cause dismissal. “The board decided they wanted a different direction,” said Welburn when reached by phone. “It’s been a great career at Fire District 5. It’s time for someone else to pick up the reins.” Deputy Fire Chief Vince Lockett was named acting chief by the board. Board chair Judy Baalman was given additional administrative discretion to assist with the transition. She will consult with other board members on decisions. “It’s so we don’t have to wait until the next meeting to make decisions in the transition,” said Robertson, who made the motion to give Baalman the additional powers. “That gives the chair more power than usual in this emergency time,” said board attorney Martial Henault. “She can act on behalf of the board for a smooth transition.” Welburn will receive a severance package. His base salary for the 2015 calendar year was $107,000 and was scheduled to rise to $112,000 for 2016. Welburn was approaching 30 years of service and said he had been eligible to retire for several years. He said he had been considering how to end his time with the district over the next couple of years. “They have their reasons, and I’m going to honor that. I don’t want to second-guess what may be going on,” said Welburn. “It’s fine to just start that second chapter. I’ve got a lot of family stuff that will take up time.” Tuesday’s meeting was the second time in two days the board decided unanimously to fire Welburn. Board policy requires that two meetings with votes be held to make a termination final, Henault said. Welburn was named chief in March 2015. He was interim chief during January and February 2015 following the retirement of Chief Dan Marshall, who was in that position for 30 years. Welburn also had been a division chief and served with the Phoenix Fire Department. District 5 covers 115 square miles in the southern Rogue Valley and surrounding mountains and includes Talent and Phoenix. The next board of directors meeting is 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, in district headquarters, 5811 S. Pacific Highway. — Tony Boom is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].