Athens Vol. Fire Department

08/25/2026

08/01/2026

Last night at 2:00 a.m., we had a meeting in Summersville with a very heavy agenda.

The gentleman standing beside me is the husband of the woman who was involved in the motor vehicle accident on Mercer Springs Road Thursday. The dog he is holding, Snowball, was one of the dogs we rescued from the wreck. Through tears in his eyes, he was overjoyed to have Snowball back in his arms.

The lady in the pink shirt also received Bella, the dog that sadly did not survive the accident. They both knew these dogs well. There were many tears shed, as we learned that this husband and wife never had children—their dogs, Snowball and Bella, were their family.

Even in the middle of his own grief, Snowball’s owner made a generous donation to our animal rescue program. That act of kindness speaks volumes about his character.

The woman injured in Thursday’s wreck still has a long road to recovery ahead of her. After sharing a few stories together, we said our goodbyes and headed home. They still had a seven-hour drive ahead of them, and members of Athens Fire Department had already spent five hours on the road through heavy fog to help reunite this family with their beloved dogs.

It was a journey filled with tears of sadness, tears of joy, and heartfelt gratitude.

They want to extend their sincere thanks to Athens Fire & Rescue for going above and beyond. Moments like these remind us that every life matters—even our four-legged victims. They are loved deeply, and they deserve the same compassion and care we give everyone else.

To all of our brothers and sisters in the fire and rescue service, thank you for everything you do. Stay safe, and may God bless each and every one of you.

07/20/2026

07/07/2026

ATHENS VFD is currently on an MVA vs pole poll in the lerona area of Rt. 20. Please be patient we have 1 lane open and alternating traffic.

07/03/2026

Each year, Anheuser-Busch pauses beer production to produce emergency drinking water, and in partnership with , ensures volunteer firefighters have the critical hydration they need during extreme heat. We’re proud to be one of the departments receiving this donation to help keep our team hydrated during wildfires and extended responses. A big thank you to The American Beer Company for delivering the water to our station!



Learn more about Anheuser-Busch’s Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program at www.nvfc.org/water.

06/18/2026

Busy radar this morning. Tornado warning north of Mercer county.
Another storm moving through the Wyoming county that could impact Mercer county within the hour. Straight lines winds and heavy rain are likely. Additional tornado warnings are possible.

05/08/2026

Athens VFD has responded to several emergency calls year-to-date, including 29 fires, 18 hazardous situations, 10 medical emergencies, 6 public service requests, 4 rescues, 8 non-emergency incidents, and 1 law enforcement support operation. Although we may not report every call, we appreciate your support and will continue to provide the best possible service.

05/05/2026

04/21/2026

This morning at approximately 7:45 a.m., Athens VFD was paged for a vehicle fire at the Deli Mart. Two members were fortunately at the station working on paperwork and quickly responded. A truck arrived on scene in under one minute, extinguished the fire, and all units returned to quarters.

04/05/2026

On April 3rd, Athens was paged out for assistance by Pipestem FD for a large brush fire on Big Rock Rd.