Virden Fire Protection District

10/23/2026

We want to share some fire safety tips for those choosing to have a bonfire, roast some hot dogs, or burn yard waste. The first thing you need to do before you strike a match is have a plan to put that fire out. Whether it gets to be past your bedtime, the game is starting and you've still got a bunch of leaves, or the kids just flung a flaming marshmallow across the yard. Having a bucket of water is a good start, but having a garden hose close by and ready to go is your best bet. Tip number 2 is check the weather. If its going to be super windy outside, just don't. Put the matches down and wait it out. Or, be ready to execute your plan to put that fire out. Fire needs 3 things. Fuel, heat, and oxygen. And when that wind is whipping what do you think that fire has an abundant supply of? Not to mention the threat of burning embers getting blown all over your neighborhood. And trust us, today is not the day to find out how good your homeowners insurance is. Third, leave the accelerants alone. Do us a favor. Go check yourself in the mirror. Now imagine you dont have eyebrows, eyelashes, or a big chunk of that beard youve been growing for so long its part of your identity is gone. Mmmhmm. Pretty compelling argument huh? Take our word for it, get some kindling and start your fire the right way. It'll be ripping and roaring soon enough. And finally, we think this goes without saying, NEVER LEAVE A FIRE UNATTENDED!!!!! No matter how small, a fire is still a threat to life and property. Even a candle can turn into a catastrophic incident. So keep an eye on those fires and be ready to stop them from spreading.

PS - We are not the cops. We are not code enforcement. So this is NOT permission for you to burn anything. Check your local ordinances before you light a fire. We wont be held responsible for you breaking the law and getting in trouble. You have been warned.

10/19/2026

Anybody recognize this old girl! Old Rescue 7 out enjoying her retirement as a show piece! 😍

10/11/2026

10/10/2026

So yesterday we shared with you some cooking safety tips. But tonight we've got the grand daddy of all cooking safety tips. Let us do it for you! On Sunday we'll be up town cooking pork chops, brats, and hot dogs to sell. The first round of food will be ready around 11:03 plus or minus a few minutes.

And afterwards we're going to have our first ever rubber duck race! We'll have a free division for the kids and then we'll have at least one heat for the adults at $5 a duck with the winnings to be split between the Fire Fighter's fund and the winning duck's owner.

The money we raise cooking and through our duck races goes into our Fire Fighter's Fund that we use to purchase things like coloring books, have a spray day at the park, and other community programs. As always, we appreciate your generosity and faith you have in us! ❤️

And we know this doesnt count as a legit fire prevention tip so we'll give you all a freebie next week!

10/08/2026

Can we talk about kitchen safety tonight? Roughly 40 - 50 percent of residential fires start in the kitchen. And while we don't have any tips on how to make your cooking better we might be able to help you still have a place to cook your next meal. For starters, dont leave your kitchen unattended while youve got food cooking. Keep the kitchen cleaned up. We hate doing dishes too but things like wrappers, boxes, and spilled grease can lead to fires. Keep pets and children away from the stove. Even the best mannered house cat is still a cat. And we've yet to meet a cat that isn't ready to cause some mischief. Animals and kids can spill super hot liquids and start or fire or just as bad, burn and injure themselves. When you cook, use a timer. This will help keep you alert and check on that meal before the smoke detectors tell you it's too late. And one last one that you might not think about. Keep your outdoor grill, smoker, or deep fryer a safe distance from your house. Vinyl siding WILL melt if your grill is too close. As usual, no heavy weight aks here. Just a few simple things that'll help you from inadvertently having your favorite first responders over for desert!

10/07/2026

Our planned Fire Prevention Week post last night was interrupted by a couple of calls, so we apologize for missing a day. To make it up to you here is a quick history lesson about Fire Prevention Week. The timing of Fire Prevention Week was originally selected to mark the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. You remember, Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern and over 17,000 buildings burnt to the ground over the next few days as over 2,000 acres of the city burned out of control eventually being stopped by Lake Michigan and rainfall? Anyway, it began as Fire Prevention Day in 1920 before officials realized one day wasn't doing the trick and expanded to an entire week. Every year the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) selects a theme for Fire Prevention Week. Over the years the theme has reflected the culture of the United States at the time. From more modern super hero themes like "Not Every Hero Wears a Cape: Plan and Practice Your Escape". To back in the the 1940's where one of the themes was "To Speed Victory - Prevent Fires". This years theme is CHARGE Into Fire Safety: Safe Charging is a Superpower, and the focus is on fire safety in relation to charging our electric devices.

PS - In 1997 the City of Chicago officially exonerated Mrs. O'Leary, and her cow, as there was no evidence to support the claims of a cow kicking over a lantern.

10/05/2026

For today's fire prevention tip we want to talk about lithium ion batteries. These batteries make our every day lives easier but they can also cause us major heart break. The best way to keep these batteries working for us is some pretty simple stuff. Make sure your charging cord is in good shape with no fraying or splits and that the ends are in good shape. Always charge batteries on a hard surface like a work table or night stand. Soft surfaces like furniture and blankets can trap heat which can cause problems. If your device starts to get really hot, swells, or starts smoking unplug it immediately! And while its ok to charge cell phones and small devices indoors, for those bigger batteries on things like power tools, ride-on bikes and scooters, and automobiles its best to charge those outdoors.

In short, like most things in your life, if you keep an eye on these devices and properly maintain them you'll probably never experience a single problem. However, if you DO have a problem with a lithium ion battery they can burn very hot and uncontrollably, so dont hesitate to give us a call!

10/05/2026

Today starts Fire Prevention Week across the U.S. so we'd like to share a bit of safety information with you all. The first line of defense in your house is a working and properly installed network of smoke detectors. No. One detector stashed away in a kitchen drawer wont cut it. And we know what you're thinking, those folks at the Fire Department are like a broken record on these smoke detectors. Well there's a reason, countless lives have been saved by smoke detectors over the years. And here's more good news. We can provide you with smoke detectors. For free. Yes, working with a program through the Fire Marshals Office we can come to your house and install smoke detectors free of charge. We also carry combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as well. The program will even provide bed shakers that work with smoke detectors for those that qualify, again these are free of charge. So if you are in need of smoke detectors, even if you already have one but think you might need more please call the Fire House and leave us a message.

PS - "the smoke" won't wake you up. There's a lot of science involved with your sense of smell dulling while you snooze, the toxic particles in the smoke, and a bunch of other white lab coat stuff. Feel free to do your own research. Or just take our word for it!

10/01/2026

On October 11th we'll be on the square cooking our regionally famous pork chops! But we're only cooking 200 so make sure you get there early or you'll miss out. We'll also have our very delicious, but not quite as famous, brats and hot dogs. After we're done cooking, we'll be having rubber duck races. We'll have a race for the youngsters that is free to enter and a seperate 50/50 race for those so inclined at five bucks a duck. Go check out Virden Area Chamber of Commerce for more details on the Monster Mash!

09/14/2026

Thanks to our friends at the Fred Britenstine Memorial car show for their generous donation to our dive team! Donations like this help keep our dive team afloat. Wait, maybe it helps them sink. We're not really sure how to say it but their donation sure does help!