LAS VEGAS, NV - The 2006 version of the increasingly popular Las Vegas Fire Games took place the first week in May at softball complexes all over the fabulous city of Las Vegas, Nevada. The eligibility for playing in this tournament is to be a full time firefighter, and they again had firefighters from all over the United States gather in Las Vegas, for the fifth installment of this event. The Vegas Fire Games includes a golf tournament and a bowling tournament the first day, but the showcase event is the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Softball Tournament, which is played out over three days. Competition was spread over four divisions. The first day of softball is pool play. How teams finish in pool play seed them for the double elimination portion of the tournament. The tournament’s unique feature of advancing every team to the double elimination bracket gives each and every team a guaranteed five games.

This tournament is one of two major Fire Softball Tournaments played in the U.S. each year, the other being in Maryland, the second weekend in September. Firemen like donating to causes, and the Vegas Fire Games donates proceeds to the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation, but that’s not the only reason they come to Las Vegas, says director Russ VanDeMark. "They come because they like good softball, and because Vegas is Vegas, and it’s a win-win, for everyone!"

This year’s tournament had 70 teams. This is the 5th year of the Vegas Fire Games being a nationally invited tournament, and in the previous four years, no California team had won in any division. This year, three out of the four divisions were won by California teams.

In Division 1, LA City Red beat Providence, R.I. 20-10 in the final of the winner’s bracket. Then Providence beat LA County Backdraft 15-14, to come out of the loser’s bracket. Providence then beat LA Red 18-17, to force the ‘if’ game. LA Red won the championship final to win the Division 1 crown.

In Division 2 it was a California sweep as the top 4 places were all California teams. Sonoma Co beat Chula Vista in the final of the winner’s bracket. Stockton, CA came out of the loser’s bracket to beat Chula Vista, and then they beat Sonoma Co, to force an ‘if’ game. Sonoma Co then won the championship final game to take Division 2’s top honors.

In Division 3 it came down to two Southern California teams that see each other regularly in Southern California tournaments, but for both of them it was the first time they had gotten to the last day in Las Vegas. Newport Beach outlasted Downey Fire to win Division 3.
In the Masters Division, Montgomery County, Maryland, after a three-year drought, came back and won the Masters bracket. Montgomery County won the first year of the tournament being a nationally invited tournament, in 2002. This year Montgomery County took down the New York Masters who had won this division in 2003 and 2004.