An open house for outgoing fire chief Dan Stout will follow this week’s regular meeting of Island County Fire District 3 commissioners.

The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, at the Freeland Fire Station, 5535 Cameron Road.

Stout, 66, is retiring after 43 years in various fire services, the past five with District 3.

Taking over will be H.L. “Rusty” Palmer, the former fire chief of the Jackson Hole, Teton County, Wyo. fire department.

Palmer was sworn in at a special commissioners’ meeting on Monday.

Thursday, commissioners are expected to elect a chairman and vice chairman for the coming year, along with a representative to the volunteer firefighters’ board.

There’s also expected to be an update on the district’s Bayview property, which is slated to house a new central facility that will be built when the economy improves.