Hampshire County Fire Association

05/24/2026

A routine Boy Scout river trip turned into a rescue mission when floodwaters trapped 28 scouts along the Cacapon River in West Virginia Saturday.

05/20/2026

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
235 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026

The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
West central Frederick County in northwestern Virginia...
Southeastern Hampshire County in eastern West Virginia...

* Until 300 PM EDT.

* At 235 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles north of
Wardensville, or 15 miles southeast of Romney, moving east at 20
mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damaging winds will cause some trees and large branches
to fall. This could injure those outdoors, as well as
damage homes and vehicles. Roadways may become blocked by
downed trees. Localized power outages are possible.
Unsecured light objects may become projectiles.

* Locations impacted include...
Capon Bridge, Yellow Spring, High View, Timber Ridge, Rock Enon
Springs, and Lehew.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

Damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning are
occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is
one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder,
you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

&&

LAT...LON 3917 7858 3923 7860 3935 7838 3917 7832
TIME...MOT...LOC 1835Z 253DEG 18KT 3922 7852

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...

05/13/2026

To the Citizens of Hampshire County:
The Hampshire County Fire Association and the Volunteer Fire Companies of Hampshire County would like to thank everyone who voted to continue the funding for the Fire Levy.
Your support will continue to help fund your local Volunteer Fire Companies with necessary trainings, equipment and expenditures as well as keeping your Homeowners Fire Insurance Premiums at reasonable cost. As good stewards, we welcome any questions that our citizens may have on Levy expenditures. If a question should arise, please feel free to reach out to your local Fire Company or direct message the Fire Association page.
I would also like to add that in addition to your continued support of the Levy in the future, we would also like to ask you to support your local communities by becoming a Volunteer.
All Departments in the county are looking for people to serve their local communities. It is a common misconception that joining your local department is just about responding to calls. While we do have a great need for responders, there are many supporting functions within the departments for people who want to serve in other ways. This could include: administrative positions, support staff, help with community events, dinners, fundraisers etc.
For anyone who would like to become an active Firefighter with your local Department, please keep in mind that the cost of required firefighter trainings is covered by the levy funds and are provided at no cost to the members of our County Volunteer Fire Departments with the cost of additional specialty trainings also covered with approval of the Fire Association.
Many departments also have Junior Firefighter programs for persons between ages 16-18 to gain experience with hand-on training, limited firefighting operations as well as assisting with other functions in the department. West Virginia also has an excellent Junior Firefighter Camp that our junior members are encouraged to attend.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please reach out to your local Fire Company for additional information.
On behalf of the Hampshire County Fire Association and the dedicated Volunteers from all Hampshire County Fire Companies, we again, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE OF CONTINUED SUPPORT!

05/12/2026

05/12/2026

With election day tomorrow, we would like to take a moment to encourage you to vote yes to
renew the fire levy, and answer some questions we have received about what the fire levy is
and its importance.

First, the fire levy is not the same as the EMS fee. The fire levy is assessed and paid as part of your property taxes. The fire levy money is distributed to all the volunteer fire departments in the county. The EMS fee is the $175 fee paid separate from your taxes, and that money goes directly to the county ambulance service.

Second, the money from the fire levy is used by each fire department for operating expenses.
For us it represents approximately 30% of our total annual budget. This money is used to pay
workers comp insurance, vehicle insurance, fuel cost, apparatus maintenance and repair, and equipment testing. This funding is crucial to maintaining a state of readiness for our
department.

Last, the fire levy is not new, it has been providing much needed funding to the volunteer fire departments of Hampshire county for 30 years. It has to be renewed by a vote every five years, with funding from the current levy ending June 2027.

The passage of the fire levy is crucial to keeping the doors open for all eight fire departments in Hampshire county. We are counting on you to vote YES!!!!!

05/07/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Why voting matters!

The volunteers of Hampshire County fire departments ask for your support of the levy. We dedicate our time to training, fundraising, and responding to emergencies—often on someone’s worst day. Whether it’s a house fire, serious accident, or loss of life, we respond without judgment and put others first, often at personal risk and expense.
Many may not realize that volunteers also pay the same levy taxes. At the same time, our costs continue to rise. Outfitting a single firefighter with required protective gear costs around $6,000, and a breathing apparatus adds another $10,000. Radios cost about $6,000, and pagers around $700. Fire apparatus are even more expensive: engines exceed $750,000, tankers $400,000, ladder trucks $1.5 million, and brush units $150,000. Because of this, departments often rely on used equipment, which is increasingly difficult to find nationwide.

Your vote is critical. Fire and Library levies require 60% approval to pass, so every vote matters. We ask for your support in the May 12 election. If you’ve already voted—thank you. If not, please make a plan to vote.

If you have questions, please reach out to any local fire department member or contact the Hampshire County Fire Association.

05/05/2026

🚨 KIDS KAMP 2026 – FINAL CALL! 🚨

You’ve officially entered the “don’t wait until the last minute and panic” phase… 😅

The deadline to apply for Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office Kids Kamp 2026 is:

⏰ Monday, May 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM

👉 That means you have ONE WEEK to get that application filled out and turned in!

⚠️ There will be NO applications accepted after May 11.
(No exceptions. No “but I just saw this.” No carrier pigeon deliveries at 4:01 PM.)

🎉 Camp Dates:
📅 May 31, June 1 & June 2, 2026

📍 Location:
Hampshire Park
240 Hampshire Park Drive
Romney, WV

🕓 Registration: Sunday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
🕕 Pick-Up: Tuesday at 6:00 PM

👦👧 Got a kid ages 9–14 who likes fun, adventure, and maybe a little “marching everywhere”? This is their moment.

📝 Apply here:
http://hampshirewv.com/images/KidsKampApplication.pdf

📬 Turn in applications to:
Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office
KIDS KAMP APPLICATIONS
66 North High Street, Room 2
Romney, WV 26757

💬 Don’t be that family at 9:47 PM on May 10 digging through Facebook like:
“Wait… when was that due again???”

📢 Get it done. Turn it in. We’ll see you at camp.

05/05/2026

Sugar Grove
340 AM EDT Tue May 5 2026
..ELEVATED FIRE DANGER FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EASTERN WEST
VIRGINIA...NORTHERN...CENTRAL AND WESTERN VIRGINIA TODAY...

The combination of 10 hour fuel moistures of 8 to 10 percent,
relative humidity around 25 percent, and wind gusts of 30 to 35
mph will lead to an increased risk for the rapid spread of
wildfires this afternoon.

Residents and visitors are urged to properly dispose of cigarette
butts, matches, and any other flammable items in appropriate
containers. Additionally, exercise caution if operating any
equipment that could create sparks and keep vehicles off of dry
grass. Most dry grasses, dead leaves, and other tree litter could
easily ignite and spread fire quickly.

Lastly, remember to obey local burn bans. For more information about
wildfire danger, burn restrictions, and wildfire prevention and
education, please visit your state forestry or environmental
protection website.

For West Virginia, visit www.wvforestry.com...
For Maryland, visit dnr.maryland.gov...
For Virginia, visit dof.virginia.gov...

[...]Read More...

05/04/2026

207 PM EDT Mon May 4 2026
..ELEVATED FIRE DANGER FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EASTERN WEST
VIRGINIA...NORTHERN...CENTRAL AND WESTERN VIRGINIA ON TUESDAY...

The combination of 10 hour fuel moistures of 8 to 10 percent,
relative humidities around 25 percent, and wind gusts of 30 to
35 mph will lead to an increased risk for the rapid spread of
wildfires.

Residents and visitors are urged to properly dispose of cigarette
butts, matches, and any other flammable items in appropriate
containers. Additionally, exercise caution if operating any
equipment that could create sparks and keep vehicles off of dry
grass. Most dry grasses, dead leaves, and other tree litter could
easily ignite and spread fire quickly.

Lastly, remember to obey local burn bans. For more information about
wildfire danger, burn restrictions, and wildfire prevention and
education, please visit your state forestry or environmental
protection website.

For West Virginia, visit www.wvforestry.com
For Maryland, visit dnr.maryland.gov
For Virginia, visit dof.virginia.gov

[...]Read More...