Virden Fire Protection District

09/05/2026

Hear yee, hear yee! Effective immediately the entirety of the Virden Fire Protection District is under a burn ban. After careful consideration, the conditions are prime for a large and uncontrolled fire. We know its Labor Day weekend, grilling and closed pit fires are allowed as long as they arent left unattended. Burning things like grass clippings, cardboard boxes, and furniture are not permitted.

In these dry conditions fire can spread rapidly so if you SEE smoke call 9-1-1. If you can SMELL brisket message us for a special number for that response.

Thanks to everyone for your consideration. The burn ban will be reevaluated next Friday.

09/04/2026

We have another shout out today! HUGE thanks to our friends at Wiseman Towing! For several years they have allowed us to come out to their place and practice cutting up cars. They are always very accommodating to us and even clean up our mess after we're done! Last night they welcomed us back out again and had a donor car prepped and waiting for us to turn into several smaller pieces of that original car. Their willingness to help us lets us practice a dangerous and high stress process in a controlled environment and lets us try new tactics and ideas. Thanks again for letting us come out to play!

09/03/2026

Last year, our friends at The Zone Virden issued a challenge to do a 110 flight stair climb during the month of September. Several of you took them up on their challenge and they made a generous contribution to us and our friends in Girard as a result of your sweat. We're happy to hear they've once again issued that challenge this September. See their page for more information and how to get involved. Thanks again to the Zone AND everyone who trys the climb!

🇺🇸 9/11 Tower Climb Challenge 🇺🇸
​All September long, we are stepping up to honor the victims and brave first responders of 9/11 with our 110-Flight Tower Challenge, and we need YOUR help to make a massive impact! 🇺🇸
​For EVERY person who completes the climb, The Zone will donate $5 directly to both the Virden Fire Protection District & the Girard Fire Protection District! 🚒🔥

​👇 HOW TO MAKE YOUR CLIMB COUNT:
1️⃣ Step Up: Complete 110 flights on the stair climber any day in September.
2️⃣ Snap It: Take a photo or selfie with your workout screen showing 110 flights.
3️⃣ Send It: Send your photo directly to The Zone page so we can verify your climb and lock in the $5 donation!

​💬 TAG A GYM BUDDY in the comments who needs to do this challenge with you! Who’s taking on the 110 flights first? 👇

08/17/2026

For years, many people have said Carlinville, Illinois feels like it’s right out of a Hallmark movie. Now, the small town could actually become the setting for one.

08/17/2026

A BACK TO SCHOOL REMINDER FOR PARENTS

Before you click "post" on your kids’ cute back to school picture, here are some things to keep in mind for their safety:

Be careful about posting too much of their personal information on a “back-to-school” board because it can make them a target for identity theft, scams, or even physical harm.

Those boards children hold when posing for a picture often include intimate details like:

▪Full name
▪Age or grade
▪School name
▪Teacher’s name
▪Hobbies or favorite things

Sometimes, their house number is even unintentionally shown in the background, which can be problematic, too.

When combined, these little details about your kids can give strangers enough information to figure out where they will be, what they like, and even how to approach them in a convincing way. Criminals or predators can use it for:

▪Location tracking (knowing their daily routine)
▪Impersonation (posing as a trusted adult)
▪Phishing or scams (targeting parents or schools)

A safer option is to make a version of the board that leaves out personal identifiers: using just first name or initials, the year, and maybe a fun fact that isn’t tied to location or routine.

We want everyone to stay safe this coming school year! 🍎📚

08/17/2026

This next sentence will be met by cheers from some and jeers from others. School starts tomorrow morning for our North Mac students. Be on the lookout for the big yellow buses, kids walking and riding their bikes to school, and those school zone speed limits. And pay attention in Virden at the cross walk! We'll let you get back to your last evening of freedom, or your celebratory dinner before getting back to earlier bedtimes! Whichever side of the fence you're on, we wish our students, staff, and faculty a fantastic year! Let's go Panthers! 🩵🖤🐈‍⬛ (

08/09/2026

We want to give a big thanks to everyone who came out to the West Park yesterday for our annual spray day! An unofficial poll conducted by smiling faces versus frowning faces indicates that it was a resounding success.

08/08/2026

The weather for our spray day at the West Park tomorrow looks great. We'll be setup and running around 11 flowing water. We'll also have free hot dogs and snow cones for the kids. The only thing we ask is that you show up ready to have a good time. Bring clothes you dont mind getting wet, a towel, and probably a change of clothes to ride home in!

08/05/2026

With all the good news we've been bringing you everyone probably believes that everything's coming up aces over here at the firehouse. Well, thats not too far off the mark. Today we're sharing more exciting news. We've been working with DnR Custom Apparel to bring you a line of apparel that allows you to show your support for your friends over here at the Fire Department. They created our new mascot (see our profile pic or Rescue 7) and incorporated into all kinds of stuff. A portion of the sales from these items come right back to support our community initiatives. You can go checkout their website for ordering information or, you can follow the QR code in this picture. Thank you all for your continued support! We look forward to seeing everyone rocking the new logo!

https://dnrsupportourfirefighters.itemorder.com/shop/home/

08/01/2026

Here's another reason we're grateful this week. We had applied for, and been awarded, a grant from the Illinois State Fire Marshals Office. We used this grant to purchase new turnout gear to replace some sets that were rapidly approaching the end of their lifespan. Now, some people might lead you to believe that this black gear is somehow hotter than our khaki colored stuff. But initial testing is indicating that to be untrue. Either way, we're glad to be able to use the grant money to keep our Firefighters in safe gear!