West Shore VFD

10/05/2026

Yeah yeah we know...but there's still a burn ban. People will still call. We will still get dispatched. Volunteers will leave work and their families to come. Trucks will roll. Fuel will be used. Just wait...please.

10/01/2026

We know it rained but there is still a burn ban in effect. That means people are going to call it in and we get dispatched. That also means you didn't call in your controlled burn. If we have to come tell you please have your checkbook ready. At $6/gal also add an extra zero.

09/25/2026

The fire truck that comes when you call in most of Texas is driven by somebody who was asleep in their own bed four minutes ago. 🚒

The large majority of fire departments in this state are volunteer. Not paid, not on shift, not sitting at the station waiting. They are welders and teachers and nurses and guys who run a feed store, and they carry a pager or a phone that can go off in the middle of a shower, a birthday dinner, or a Tuesday at two in the morning. Then they drive to the station, pull gear that is still damp from the last call, and go.

They pay for a lot of it themselves, or the county pays what it can, or the community does it with a barbecue plate sale and a raffle. The trucks are often older than the people driving them. And the calls are not only fires. They are wrecks out on the highway at night, grass fires running with the wind, water rescues, and cardiac calls where the closest hospital is fifty minutes away and the volunteer EMT kneeling on the floor is the only medicine in the room.

The hard part nobody outside it talks about is that in a small town you know the address before you get there. 🙏 You know whose kitchen it is. You go anyway, and then you go back to work in the morning like it was nothing.

09/25/2026

Daryl is an incredible asset to our department. Please consider supporting the West Shore Civic Association with their community cleanup. Message us with questions.

09/23/2026

Purchase tickets online @ westshorevfd.org or in-person from any VFD member.

The Hydra Fire was hard on every agency involved. We had two trucks go down during the response and everyone knows the price of diesel is very high right now. This is why fundraising efforts like our fall/spring raffle are so fundamental to volunteer rural fire service.

Our apparatus gets worked hard and needs to be put back in service quickly. Having funds available for unexpected expenses is vital for us to serve our community and beyond. All raffle proceeds are used to provide emergency services.

Also, a special thank you to Charlie's Wrecker Service in Clifton for towing one of our trucks for repairs at no charge. Their generosity and support is greatly appreciated.

Only 500 tickets are being sold for $100 each. Every ticket has two chances to win. Thank you to everyone for supporting us!

09/14/2026

The "Hydra Fire" is now estimated at 400 acres and 0% contained.

09/11/2026

🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️!!!

09/11/2026

NEVER FORGET!

09/07/2026

It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of one of our own. Longtime member Mr. Don Lawson passed away yesterday morning.

Don dedicated 50 years of service to West Shore VFD and made a lasting impact on all of us as a father figure, friend, and mentor. He served as Assistant Fire Chief for many years, led numerous committees, and most recently served as a department Trustee.
Please keep his family, friends, and our entire West Shore VFD family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this difficult loss together.

Celebration of Life for Don: September 9, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. West Shore Grill 564 Texas 22, Laguna Park, Texas 76634

View Donald "Don" Lee Lawson's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.