As reported in the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of the Sun-Gazette, homes in Gamble Township, the Newberry neighborhood of Williamsport and Montgomery all were lost to fires in the earliest part of the week.

First, we hope the families affected by these fires recover.

Second, we hope communities throughout our region and state, after these fires and after any fire, can reflect on the important role volunteer fire companies fill in keeping our communities safe.

As the Sun-Gazette has documented over years, volunteer fire companies often struggle to find men and women willing to serve as firefighters.

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer — we recognize that firefighters and first responders are performing a community service that is not only crucial but also often dangerous and stressful.

But acknowledging the difficulty of what our neighborhoods and communities ask of firefighters — and reiterating again that our communities need to always look for how to most fully express our appreciation for their service — does not change that we need our volunteer fire companies to have success in recruiting.

We again ask everyone to really consider _ how can I help?

Do you have the abilities to serve as a volunteer firefighter? Do you have the capability to answer emergency calls? Can you — you — save lives?

Not everyone can. And members of our communities who can’t should still contribute to volunteer fire companies, financially or by finding other ways to volunteer.

But for our communities and neighborhoods to be safe, our volunteer fire companies need men and women to have a sense of public service. Lives depend on it.