Creighton
Sayles joined the fire service in 1958 as a Volunteer
Fireman with the Mandan Rural Fire District in North
Dakota. He continued to serve with the Mandan Rural Fire
District for eleven years. In 1960 while working a fire
he was asked by North Dakota State Fire Marshal Vance
Arneson, to assist him in his investigation of the fire
which Mr. Sayles was working. For several days Mr.
Sayles assisted FM Arneson. This was the first fire
investigation which Mr. Sayles was directly involved
with, however after this he was involved with other fire
investigations. In 1969 Mr. Sayles moved to Missoula,
Montana and became a full time paid fireman with the
Missoula Rural Fire District. He immediately became
involved with fire investigations and worked his way up
through the ranks, obtaining the position of Lead Fire
Investigator and Fire Marshal. In 1985 Mr. Sayles was a
Battalion Chief and suffered an injury which required an
artificial knee in his right leg. After recovery from
the operation and loss of the job from the Fire District
he formed Eagle Investigations, Inc. and resumed fire
investigations, this time in the private sector. In his
entire career he has investigated approximately 1,400
fires.
