Estes steps down as Medical Lake Fire Chief

The Medical Lake Fire Department is in a state of transition right now, with the departure of Fire Chief Jeff Estes.

Assistant Chief Jason Mayfield is serving as interim chief until a final decision is made on the top job.

City Administrator Doug Ross said Estes’ departure wasn’t entirely a surprise, although the timeline had moved up from previous guesses.

“We talked last fall about it,” Ross said.

Estes worked full-time with the Spokane Fire Department in addition to his duties as chief of Medical Lake’s 20-plus volunteer crew. He’ll remain on the staff as a volunteer firefighter following t...