Van Buren Fire Department

10/15/2026

Thank You for hosting FK and special thanks to Fire Marshals for the training!
VB had 4 in attendance to help
Expand our investigation capabilities.

10/08/2026

Part 2 of the day… after a few hours at school Deputy Chief, Ouellette and the Chief had their monthly meeting for the new firehouse.
Currently the roof system is going on, plumbing, heating piping and exterior ground work.
Here are a few pictures.

10/08/2026

A Busy Week but well worth it.
As this “Fire Prevention “ week wraps up we were honored to pay a visit to our school to talk to the kids about fire prevention and some very important topics.
NOW —— parents please do not get mad at your kids for things we told them that mom and dad should not do🤭🤭🫣🫣 as we told them “Fireman NICK “ said so…. These kids were super attentive and we also had a very special guest help us out which most of the parents would recognize my predecessor Dana Violette. Dana was chief in VB from 2002 to 2012 until he handed me the reigns.
Dana is now our Fire Marshal for Aroostook county. His assistants was greatly appreciated today. Thank you!
A special thank you to the school and staff for allowing us time to visit.

10/07/2026

On October 6,2026 at about 15:40 hours Van Buren Fire was dispatched to a two story structure fire located at 640 Main Street in Van Buren with black smoke showing. Upon arrival small puffs of black smoke was visible from the eves and door frames, a 360 size up showed that the entire house windows were covered with black smoke and doors extremely hot.
At that time the chief called for mutual aid from St.Leonard fire (Canada) and Grand Isle fire .

Van Buren made an initial aggressive attack having to use forcible entry method with the 2 in 2 out teams also simultaneously breaking a window on the north wall to vent and attacking the fire preventing a backdraft. Thermal cameras were used to overhaul and check for extension to the other parts of the house.

Outside; RT 1 / Main Street was closed down for about an hour for firefighters safety. A water shuttle was set up due to the fire being out of hydrant district with the help of the water district. After the fire was knocked down one lane of traffic was opened up.

Nobody was home at the time.
No injuries
The house is inhabitable at this time due to extensive heat, smoke & fire damage.

At approximately 17:00 hours a call to the fire marshal office was initiated to investigate the fire. The fire remains under investigation by the Maine Fire Marshal Office

The scene was cleared at approximately 21:00 by the investigators and Chiefs.

A special Thank you to the Border agent that stopped and assisted with multiple task.
Van Buren Ambulance 🚑 Service
Van Buren Water
Van Buren Power
Grand Isle Fire Department
St.Leonard Fire Department

And a special Thank you to all employers for allowing your volunteers to leave work and help provide this community service.

Thank You
Chief, Caron

09/29/2026

We would like to congratulate Sergeant MacMaster on his promotion! Very well deserved recognition.
He is one of the best!!

Evening everyone,

Chief Davis and I are pleased to announce the promotion of Ken MacMaster to Fire Investigation’s Sergeant within the FMO.

Ken brings 25 years of service with the Maine State Police and 20 years with the Fire Marshal’s Office. His expertise as an investigator is unmatched. His ability to solve difficult cases, develop thorough investigations, and navigate the challenges of the court system has been an invaluable resource to our office. His education and extensive experience provide a strong foundation for this new responsibility. Honestly, his accomplishments and successful case outcomes are far too long to list on a post.

What is equally as important is that Sgt. MacMaster places the highest priority on serving our stakeholders, particularly our local fire departments. He understands that our work depends not only on investigative skill, but also on trust, communication, and strong relationships with our local departments. His commitment to those relationships, the overall mission of our office, and my personal observations of his interactions with the family of fire victims were all important factors in this decision. The Deputy Chief and I have had the recent privilege to travel the state and positive comments of Sgt. MacMaster always seem to surface.

As Sergeant, Ken will have an opportunity to share his knowledge, mentor our investigators, and help strengthen the work of our Investigations Division. Please join the Deputy and I in congratulating him and supporting him as he takes on these responsibilities.

Congratulations, Sergeant MacMaster!

Shawn J. Esler, State Fire Marshal

09/25/2026

Ever thought about becoming a firefighter? Caribou Fire Department is recruiting paid-call members, and there's never been a better time to join.

No experience? No problem. We're proud to host the 2027 Central Aroostook Fire Academy, starting this January — and it's FREE. You'll earn your Firefighter I/II Pro-Board certification while training and serving right alongside our crew.

✅ Full training provided
✅ Free Pro-Board I/II certification
✅ No experience necessary
✅ Make a real difference in your community

Ready to take the first step?
📍 Stop by 121 High Street, Caribou
🔗 Get more information: https://forms.gle/sQSq1ppxkicL7YYV9
📱 Or scan the QR code on the training announcement!

We'd love to have you on the crew!