Estherville Fire Department

10/11/2026

Estherville Fire Department took time out of their weekend to train on vehicle education.

Ever year our firefights take this training to help sharpen their skills for when that call comes.

Thank you Al Ebbinga with Wide Open Response Training.

10/09/2026

10/09/2026

New Release

This week, the Estherville Fire Department teamed up with Estherville schools and local daycare providers for Fire Prevention Week and farm safety education.

This is a wonderful time of year to educate our youth so they can take what they learn home and help hold all of us, as parents and adults, accountable for their safety. This program has been in place for more than 21 years, and during that time, we have seen a drastic decrease in residential fires and fire-related deaths.

Throughout the week, we taught our youth the importance of not playing with fire and how to respect the dangers of fire. We talked about how to prevent fires from happening, what to do if a fire occurs, and why every family should have and practice a fire escape plan.

We encouraged the older kids to go home and ask their parents some important questions:

Do we have working smoke detectors in our home?

Do we have a fire extinguisher?

Does our family have a plan if a fire happens?

Do we know two ways out of our bedrooms?

We also talked about how important it is to close your bedroom door while you sleep and to close doors when leaving your home for the day. A closed door can help slow the spread of fire, heat, and smoke.

We went over the different types of fires, and with the older kids, we also discussed fire extinguishers, how they work, and when they can safely be used while maintaining a way out of the building.

The kids asked a lot of great questions.

“What if my bedroom is on the second floor?”
Talk with your parents, have a plan, and consider purchasing an emergency escape ladder designed for your window.

“Where do we get smoke detectors?”
They are available at our local hardware stores. If your family cannot afford smoke detectors, contact me. We want every home in our community to have working smoke detectors.

“How often should we change the batteries in our smoke detectors?”
Check and test your smoke alarms regularly and replace batteries according to the manufacturer’s recommendations or whenever the alarm indicates a low battery. Also check the date on the back of your alarms and replace them when they reach the end of their recommended service life.

Our job as volunteer firefighters in this community is not only about answering the emergency call, day or night. It is also about educating our community and doing everything we can to prevent that emergency call from happening in the first place.

I was asked this week what the worst call has been in my 21 years as a firefighter. My answer was that I haven't been on that call yet—the call that makes me step away from answering the next one.

For me, that call would be one involving one of our youth where I am left wondering whether there was something more we could have done to prevent it. That is why this education means so much to me and to our department.

I challenged our youth this week to go home and reeducate us adults. Bring up the conversation tonight. Check your smoke detectors. Find your fire extinguisher. Talk about two ways out. Pick a meeting place. Make a plan and practice it as a family.

We want our youth to grow up with fire safety becoming second nature—to have working smoke detectors, know where the fire extinguisher is, have an escape plan, and understand the importance of closing doors throughout the home.

If they carry those lessons with them for the rest of their lives, then we have done our job.

Travis Sheridan
Fire Chief
Estherville Fire Department

10/09/2026

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK – HAVE A PLAN!

Today’s fire prevention message is simple: Have a plan before you need it.

During a fire, every second matters. Smoke, heat, and confusion can make it difficult to think clearly, which is why your family should know what to do before an emergency happens.

-Know two ways out of every room when possible.

-Make sure everyone in the home knows the escape plan.

- Choose a safe meeting place outside so everyone can be accounted for.

-Once you are out, STAY OUT! Never go back inside.

-Practice your plan so everyone knows what to do when seconds count.

A plan only works if everyone knows it. Talk about it. Practice it. Be prepared.

10/08/2026

Being notified early can save lives.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are some of the most important safety devices in our homes. They can provide the early warning you and your family need to get to safety.

Take a few minutes today to:
• CHECK your smoke and CO alarms.
• TEST each alarm to make sure it is working properly.
• REPLACE batteries when needed.
• CHECK the date on the back of each alarm and replace units that have reached the end of their recommended service life.
• NEVER ignore a chirping or sounding alarm.

Don’t wait until an emergency to find out an alarm isn’t working.

10/07/2026

This week for Fire Prevention we want to focus of want to focus on lithium batteries. We use these devices daily, but in a instant they can cause distruction in our lives. Stay safe by having knowlege.

10/02/2026

October 2, 2026

At approximately 7:45 a.m. on October 2, 2026, the Estherville Fire Department was paged to a local residence for a report of smoke coming from a window.

When fire officers arrived on scene, they observed light smoke coming from a window on the east side of the residence. Upon arrival of additional firefighters, crews made entry into the home to locate the source of the fire.

While firefighters were inside the residence, fire conditions began to rapidly intensify. Crews were ordered to exit the structure, and the decision was made to transition to a defensive fire attack from the exterior.

Firefighters gained access through the windows and began attacking the fire from outside the residence. Fortunately, the door to the bedroom where the fire was located was closed, which helped contain the fire to that room.

This incident is a good reminder of the importance of closing doors in your home. A closed door can help slow the spread of fire, heat, and smoke, providing additional time for occupants to escape and helping limit fire damage throughout the home.

Once the fire was brought under control, firefighters re-entered the residence and completed overhaul operations, extinguishing remaining hot spots. The bedroom sustained extensive fire damage, while the remainder of the home sustained minor smoke damage.

Firefighters remained on scene for approximately two hours. The fire is believed to be electrical in nature; however, the exact cause remains under investigation.

The Estherville Fire Department was assisted by the Emmet County Communications Center, Estherville Electrical Department, Estherville Police Department, Estherville Ambulance Service, and Wallingford Fire Department.

The Estherville Fire Department thanks all assisting agencies for their continued cooperation and assistance.

09/11/2026

Today we remember and honor those first responders.

09/07/2026

Members of the Estherville Fire Department took time out of the day to support and collect donations for MDA.

Come down before noon today and help them support MDA.

08/13/2026

The Estherville Fire Department hosted a vehicle fire training this week.

Firefighter worked on their techniques of how to approach a vehicle safely with fire attacking and how to work as team to open compartments in the vehicle that are fire involved.

Agencies that participated in the training are the following.

Gruver Fire
Wallingford Fire and Ambulance
Estherville Ambulance Service