Dougherty Volunteer Fire Department

05/20/2026

Dougherty area residents: On Monday June 1st at 10:00 at the court house the cerro Gordo county supervisors are having a public meeting to discuss the county maintenance shed in Rockwell. This could lead to the closing of the county shed in Dougherty if supervisors decide to build something large enough to accommodate the equipment from Dougherty in Rockwell as well. When we have calls during inclement winter weather having a county maintenance shed close by can drastically increase our response times and the number of fire fighters able to respond.

05/13/2026

Today, we were called to a fire east of Rockwell, the same location we were dispatched to on Sunday. We assisted Rockwell fire department with a smoldering brush pile and hay leftover from Sunday’s fire that rekindled due to the windy conditions today. Marble Rock fire department and Cerro Gordo county sheriff’s department also lent assistance.

05/12/2026

(ABC 6 News) – A farm building fire east of Rockwell brought several area fire departments together and crews were able to save the house and most of the livestock.The Dougherty Volunteer Fire Department said it assisted the Rockwell Fire Department at a multiple-farm building fire east of Rockwell. The department said Sheffield, Marble Rock […] ⬇️Click the link in the comments to read more

05/11/2026

05/10/2026

Today we assisted Rockwell Fire Department with a multiple farm building fire east of Rockwell. Other fire departments on scene to assist included Sheffield, Marble Rock and Swaledale. The house was saved along with most of the livestock.

04/11/2026

Aredale fire departments annual pancake breakfast is tomorrow from 8:00 to 1:00.

03/31/2026

Let's talk about outdoor burning. We've heard/read a lot of comments about burning around the area lately and we feel there is some misinformation/misunderstanding out there so let's try to clear some of that up.

Open Burn Ban vs. Red Flag Warning - We hear these terms used interchangeably and they do not mean the same thing.

An Open Burn Ban is issued for the County by the State Fire Marshall when it is requested by the fire chiefs of the County. Open Burn Bans are put in place when weather/moisture conditions pose an extreme fire threat over longer periods of time(could be days, weeks, or months). Unauthorized outdoor burning during an Open Burn Ban is a criminal offense.

A Red Flag Warning is a weather warning, similar to a Severe Thunderstorm Warning or Winter Storm Warning, issued by the National Weather Service when current atmospheric conditions pose an extreme fire danger. These are not a Burn Ban, they are a weather warning. It is not illegal to burn during a Red Flag Warning but it is extremely foolish!

If you see us post messages that say "Do Not Burn Today" that is because we understand the conditions and know that any fires that get started can get out of hand very quickly. These posts are not "Burn Bans" merely a request from us to not set things on fire in the interest of public safety.

All this being said, if you light a fire you are responsible for it, no matter what Warnings/Watches/Bans may or may not be in place. It is your responsibility to know if there is an Open Burn Ban in place and to know weather forecasts while you will be burning. If your fire gets out of control you can be held liable for any damages, civilly and/or criminally.

Hopefully this clears a few things up! Stay safe out there everyone!

03/31/2026

Friendly Reminder: When conducting a prescribed or controlled burn, please notify dispatch via the non-emergency number of the county where the burn is taking place. If the fire is reported to 911 by a passerby or neighbor it has to be treated as an emergency if it wasn’t called in prior.

03/29/2026

Today we did a prescribed burn on some CRP acres east of Dougherty. Needed a south wind and today we got it.

03/18/2026

Happy saint Patrick’s day from “little Ireland”.