Longtime Yakima Fire Chief Aaron Markham to Retire in June

Yakima Fire Chief Aaron Markham says he's retiring after nearly 35 years in the fire service, with the last eight years spent leading the Yakima Fire Department. Markham’s final day on the job will be June 30th.

BIG SHOES TO FILL

Yakima City Manager Vicki Baker says Markham has served Yakima "extraordinarily well over more than three decades.” Baker says he's had a distinguished career in the fire service and demonstrated a deep understanding of how to administer a fire department. She admits his "shoes will be difficult to fill."

A VALLEY BOY

Born in Yakima and raised in Toppenish, Markham began his fire service career in 1991 as a firefighter/EMT with the Sunnyside Fire Department.
He was promoted to battalion chief and fire marshal in 2001. In 2004, he served as interim fire chief for Sunnyside before officially becoming the department’s fire chief in 2005.

Photo Credit: City of Yakima Fire-Rescue

LEADING YAKIMA FOR THE LAST 8-YEARS

In 2018, Markham joined the Yakima Fire Department as deputy fire chief and was appointed chief later that year. Throughout his career, he earned a bachelor’s degree in fire service administration from Eastern Oregon University and completed the Executive Fire Officer Certification from the National Fire Academy in 2017.

PART OF STATEWIDE

Markham has also served as president of the Yakima County Fire Chief’s Association and as a board member of the Washington State Fire Chief’s Association, contributing "significantly" to the fire service community.