Eldridge Fire And Rescue Dept

10/03/2026

October is Fire Prevention Month, which is a great time to take a few simple steps to help protect your home and family. Did you know that 3 out of every 5 home fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms? Yet, many homeowners still don't have a fire escape plan or regularly test their alarms. This month, take a few minutes to check your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, make sure they work, and replace smoke alarms that are 10 years old or older. Fire extinguishers also have a standard life of 10 -12 years.

Here are a few important ways to help prevent fires and keep your family safe:

- Test your alarms: Test smoke and CO alarms monthly. Make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms, and outside sleeping areas. Install CO alarms on every level and near sleeping areas.

- Make an escape plan: Plan two ways out of every room and choose a meeting place outside. Practice your plan with everyone in your household.

- Stay in the kitchen: Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Stay nearby when cooking, keep flammable items away from the stove, and turn off burners when you're finished.

- Charge safely: Use manufacturer-approved chargers for phones, laptops, e-bikes, and other devices with lithium-ion batteries. Charge them on a hard, flat surface, away from anything that can burn.

- Know what to do: When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside. Call 911 and never go back inside a burning building.

09/23/2026

!FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!

ELDRIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO RAPIDLY MOVING NATURAL COVER FIRE ON JUNCTION ROAD

ELDRIDGE, MISSOURI — September 23, 2026 — The Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department (EVFD) responded to a rapidly spreading natural cover fire in the area of Junction Road in Eldridge, Missouri, on September 18–19, 2026. The fire burned approximately 300 acres, threatened multiple structures, and required a significant multi-agency response involving fire departments, emergency medical services, law enforcement, emergency management, and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
At approximately 1:20 p.m. on September 18, EVFD was dispatched to the area for a smoke investigation following a report from a neighboring resident of a natural cover fire.
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered a large wooded area with active fire rapidly moving through the woods and approaching a structure. EVFD crews immediately deployed fire attack lines and established structure protection measures to protect threatened homes and property.
Due to the extremely dry environment and other weather conditions at the time, the fire spread rapidly. Additional resources were requested as the fire continued to threaten structures.
As the fire advanced, multiple homes in the affected area were ordered to evacuate due to the immediate threat posed by the rapidly moving fire.
During firefighting operations, a crew of firefighters was temporarily cut off from the roadway when active fire crossed a driveway. The firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and retreat to an area of safety. No injuries occurred as a result of this incident.
A water-filling station was established to support firefighting operations and provide a continuous water supply for engines, tankers, and brush trucks.
The Missouri Department of Conservation responded with a bulldozer to establish a fire break around portions of the perimeter to prevent further fire spread. The Missouri Region I Task Force was also requested to provide additional apparatus and personnel.
The fire was declared under control and contained at approximately 8:19 p.m. on September 18. Fire crews remained on scene conducting back-burning operations, mop-up, and monitoring activities until approximately 9:35 p.m.
Two firefighters required medical attention during the incident due to dehydration and overheating. The firefighters were treated on scene by Mercy Emergency Medical Services and were subsequently released back to service.

REKINDLING AND SECOND-DAY OPERATIONS

At approximately 1:23 p.m. on September 19, residents in the area contacted emergency services to report that fire had crossed established firebreak lines.
EVFD crews returned to the area to assess the situation and conduct additional back-burning operations. Additional and wider dozer lines were established to strengthen containment and prevent further fire spread.
Firefighters continued suppression, mop-up, and monitoring operations throughout the day. All firefighting activities were declared complete at approximately 10:06 p.m. on September 19, 2026.

MULTI-AGENCY RESPONSE

The Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department extends its sincere appreciation to all agencies and organizations that provided personnel, apparatus, equipment, emergency medical services, logistical support, and other resources during this incident.
Mutual aid and assisting agencies included:
Lebanon City Fire Department
Missouri Department of Conservation
Sleeper-Stoutland Volunteer Fire Department
Nebo-Falcon Fire Protection District
Mid-County Fire Protection District
Lebanon Rural Fire Protection District
Mercy Emergency Medical Services
Northwest Fire Protection District – Camden County, Missouri
Hazelgreen Fire Protection District
Tri-County Fire Protection District
St. Robert Fire and Rescue
Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District
Southwest Camden County Fire Protection District
Logan-Rogersville Fire
Lake Ozark Fire Protection District
Ozark Fire Protection District
Strafford Fire Protection District
Willard County Fire Protection District
Prairie Grove Volunteer Fire Department
FF14/17 Fire Department
Conway Volunteer Fire Department
Laclede County Sheriff's Office
American Red Cross
Laclede County Office of Emergency Management
Laclede County Central Dispatch
Mountain Creek Campground
The coordinated response of these agencies was critical to protecting residents, structures, firefighters, and surrounding property.

CAUSE REMAINS UNDETERMINED

The cause of the fire remains undetermined at this time.
The prolonged period of extreme heat and low humidity in the area has contributed to drought conditions and extremely low moisture levels in ground fuels. These conditions significantly increase the potential for rapid fire spread and make wildfire suppression considerably more difficult.

PUBLIC FIRE SAFETY WARNING

The Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department strongly urges residents to refrain from outdoor burning whenever possible during the current hot and extremely dry conditions.
Residents should be aware that even a small campfire, brush fire, or other controlled burn can become uncontrollable very quickly when vegetation and ground fuels are extremely dry.
Anyone conducting an outdoor burn should exercise extreme caution, follow all applicable regulations, never leave a fire unattended, and ensure that any fire is completely extinguished before leaving the area.

THANK YOU TO OUR MUTUAL AID PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY

The Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department would like to express its sincere appreciation to every firefighter, emergency responder, agency, organization, and individual who assisted during this incident.
The rapid response and cooperation of our mutual aid partners provided critical resources during a challenging and rapidly developing fire.
EVFD also extends its appreciation to the residents of the affected area for their cooperation, patience, and understanding during evacuations and firefighting operations.
The successful response to this incident demonstrates the importance of strong mutual-aid relationships and cooperation among emergency service agencies throughout the region.
The Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department remains committed to protecting the lives, homes, property, and communities we serve.

Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department
Laclede County, Missouri

09/09/2026

This is captain mcdowell letting the eldridge community know that we will be set at 9:30AM this Sat at twin oaks on north hwy 5 to sell raffle tickets for our annual chili dinner on Nov 14

07/16/2026

To the Eldridge Fire District community,

The Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department is proposing a transition from a dues-based funding system to a tax-supported fire protection district. If approved, the department will become the Eldridge Fire Protection District.

The proposed tax levy is $0.33 per $100 of assessed value on both real and personal property. This would provide an estimated annual operating budget of $70,000 to $75,000.

Currently, the department serves more than 1,500 households across over 91 square miles. Although every household benefits from our services, only about 25% of residents currently pay annual dues. Those dues generate approximately $19,735 each year. When combined with fundraisers, grants, and donations, our total annual revenue is approximately $32,633.

During the last fiscal year, our operating expenses exceeded our annual income by $3,900. We were only able to cover that shortfall because we had funds remaining from the previous fiscal year. Unfortunately, this is not a sustainable way to operate.

Providing dependable fire protection requires reliable funding. Our current budget must cover firefighter training, maintenance and repairs to fire apparatus, replacement of protective gear, equipment, and other essential operating expenses. Simply put, our current funding is no longer enough to adequately support the department or meet the growing needs of our community.

Transitioning to a tax-supported fire protection district would provide a stable and predictable source of funding. It would allow us to maintain and repair our fire apparatus, replace worn or outdated protective gear, provide ongoing firefighter training, purchase fuel and equipment, maintain our station, and cover other necessary operating expenses. Most importantly, it would help ensure that the Eldridge Fire Protection District can continue providing reliable emergency services to our community for years to come.

We have submitted the signed petitions to Laclede County, and they have informed us that we need 40 additional signatures to move forward with the tax base proposal.

If you have not yet signed a petition, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Please contact Steve at (417) 991-9828 to arrange a time to sign.

Thank you for your continued support of the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department.

06/16/2026

06/07/2026

Saturday June 13th from 3pm to 6pm the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting our annual board meeting and open house. Come on out and show your support for your local volunteer fire department. This will also be the final chance to sign the petition for the department to go tax based. Everyone who lives in the district is invited to come out and ask questions and meet your fire fighters. We will be serving hot dogs, drinks, and chips at no cost to the public

05/30/2026

Eldridge volunteer fire department is at Mike's Country Store today from 10am to 2pm for the petition signing for a tax based district. Come sign up, support your local fire department, and get answers to your questions about tax based departments

05/17/2026

Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department spent time today with Tri-County Fire and Nebo/Falcon Fire Department training on CPR and AED use for emergency scenes to help protect our communities

02/05/2026

Ok eldridge community we have a date set up to talk to the community about the petition feb 20th at 3pm we will be at the eldridge store