Last night, August 12, Hennessey received a great deal of moisture, but not from Mother Nature. It was the annual Hennessey Fire Department Water Wars 2026 edition!
This marked the fifth anniversary of the event, and this year was the biggest yet. What started with just three Hennessey fire trucks has grown to 13 trucks and more than 40 crew members. The departments joining the fun included: Waukomis, Loyal, Dover, Omega, Pioneer & Marshall.
This year, Hennessey was joined by crews from six other towns, all coming together to help cool everyone off on the last day of summer vacation. The after a pizza dinner, Hennessey Fire Chief Brandon Scott briefed everyone on the safety rules and routes to follow. Then it was time to get wet.
All of the trucks started on Mitchell Road to wish Emerson Gilmore a happy birthday. From there, they split up and began covering streets throughout town, soaking just about anyone brave enough to stand outside.
There were a few strategic ambush points along the way. The Kingfisher County crew had three trucks positioned and ready to spray firefighters as they passed, including one camouflaged in the bushes for a surprise attack. Apparently, Water Wars now involves tactical operations.
The second set up was Hennessey Septic where they had 2 large water trucks and about 20 family members all armed with some sort of water hose and balloons.
At the end of the night, all of the crews gathered in the school parking lot for a group photo. While the trucks were being arranged, things quickly turned into an all-out water fight between the departments.
That battle also included this photographer, who had somehow managed to stay dry most of the night. That winning streak came to an abrupt end.
All About Hennessey was live for much of the evening, and you can watch the video on our Facebook page or at the All About Hennessey website. Photos by Jack Quirk and Ivan Cabral.
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