Merkel Volunteer Fire Department

04/13/2026

The Burn Ban has been lifted for TAYLOR and JONES county. Reminder you need to contact the Sheriff’s office prior to burning and have water available on site.

Taylor SO: 325-674-1300
Jones SO: 325-823-4604

02/15/2026

**Update: The fire is out and all units have returned to service as of 20:00 hrs

Merkel Fire is on the scene of a working structure fire near County Road 356. Please avoid the area.

02/10/2026

Today was an exciting day. Merkel was fortunate enough to get involved with this grant. Our current SCBAs are well over 20 years old and needed to be replaced. To replace them all would have been impossible without this grant and the donation from the Community Foundation of Abilene.

02/07/2026

We again unfortunately have to report that another retired member has passed this week. Joseph served the City and surrounding area for roughly a decade. Please join us as we send our condolences to his friends and family.

Celebrate the life of Joseph Stephens (Scott) and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

02/04/2026

We regrettably must share the passing of a long time member and friend of the department. Jerry served the citizens of Merkel and the surrounding area for more than 4 decades. Joining in 1966 and retiring in 2009, he had done or seen it all, and was a wealth of information for the membership even after retiring, occasionally stopping by the station to chat anytime he saw someone there. We extend our condolences to all his friends and family and thank them for sharing him with us.

Celebrate the life of Jerry Horton and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

02/02/2026

You may have seen some of our trucks and personnel at a couple of locations here in town tonight. There were no emergencies, just learning. We were conducting some officer development and general scenario based hands on training.
It is sometimes hard for officers to get 'real world' command and control training in a table top format. Tonight, we had Lieutenants Staples and Snowden trade out riding with Chief Harris and have him guiding them as they worked through a mock emergency with assigned personnel. The other staff were able to practice fireground activities and assignments from someone different. All were able to learn from each activity and continue to grow as a crew and gain familiarity with others running an incident. Continual progress, always training, and always growing is what helps us stay "The Best In The West".

01/28/2026

Taylor County Judge Crowley lifted the burn ban from last November on Saturday due to the large amount of precipitation and the duration of which it would take to fully melt resulting in a positive change to ground and fuel moisture. This being said we would like to advise our area that now is the time to burn before we re-enter drought like conditions. As always you will need to contact the Taylor or Jones County Sheriff's Department's to notify them and we also ask that you please adhere to general safety rules.

👨‍🚒Always have an available water source nearby.

👨‍🚒 Fires must not be within 50 feet of a structure and shall be attended by a competent adult.

👨‍🚒 The City of Merkel does not have an outdoor burning ordinance, it does however have a nuisance ordinance that would cover outdoor burning if someone was to call in a complaint to local authorities. Since Merkel is also an incorporated area, it would fall under state rules and regulations set forth by TCEQ that prohibits burning of anything other than "yard waste" ie: branches, leaves, grass, etc. Please visit thier website for questions or to read the specific guidelines. The City's nuisance ordinance is also available on the city website.

Above all; be safe, be smart.

01/24/2026

Merkel Police Department – 911 & Road Conditions Reminder

The Taylor County Sheriff's Office serves as the primary dispatch center for the Merkel Police and Merkel Volunteer Fire Department. The 911 system is reserved for emergencies requiring immediate police, fire, or medical response.

Please do not call 911 for non-emergency inquiries such as road closures, weather conditions, or travel advisories. These calls can delay response to life-threatening emergencies.

For non-emergency police matters, contact the Merkel Police Department at (325) 928-4766.

For road conditions, call 800-452-9292 or visit DRIVETEXAS.ORG.
For weather information, call 325-465-1212 or visit FORECAST.WEATHER.GOV.

Thank you for helping us keep emergency lines available for those who need them most.

01/23/2026

Someone mentioned something about it getting cold over the next few days, probably just more rumors right?
Well, this is West Texas and we all know what happens when it gets cold and wet, we get busy! Please stay aware of travel conditions, and plan accordingly.

👨‍🚒Please stay cautious of all heating devices and check on those that may use alternative means of staying warm. While it is strongly advised to never use an oven for heating we also know that we have those in this community that are required to do just such.
👨‍🚒Please make sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm for your home if you use any gas heating.
👨‍🚒Be mindful of overloading outlets and never use extension cords with portable electric heaters. Keep all flammable objects away from heat sources.
👨‍🚒Keep screens or doors closed on fireplaces and wood stoves to prevent escape of embers into living areas.
We want everyone to have a safe uneventful weather event and be able to complain about how miserable it was with the rest of us. Stay inside for a few days, try not to get on each other's nerves too much, we know - they make that weird noise when they chew, just ignore it for a couple days. Above all stay warm and safe.

01/12/2026

Jones County has issued a Burn Ban for the next 90 days.

12/17/2025

Today around 13:30 Merkel Fire was dispatched for mutual aid with Sweetwater Fire Department on a working structure fire in the 500 block of Crane St. SFD had a majority of the fire controlled prior to our arrival. We assisted with overhaul and mop up in the attic space. The home was older and constructed with wood ceilings making overhaul labor intensive. MFD was released around 17:00.