Neighbors Helping Neighbors Since 1911
Libby Volunteer Fire Department 119 East 6th Street
P.O. Box 796
Libby, Mt 59923
406-293-9217
Email Us
LVFD Facebook Page

Our Locations

  • Station 1: 119 East 6th Street
  • Station 2: 180 River Run Lane N Hwy 37
  • Station 3: 38137 US Hwy 2 S
  • Station 4: 94 Bobtail Road

Contact Us

  • Mailing Address: P.O. Box 796
  • Phone: 406-293-9217
  • Fax: 406-293-3219
  • Email Us
  • LVFD Facebook Page

Make a difference, become part of our team!

Do you have what it takes to become a volunteer firefighter and provide a valuable service to Libby and the surrounding communities?

Our team of volunteers is always looking for aspiring men and women to protect the lives and properties of their neighbors in time of emergency. Please stop by our station located in downtown Libby to pick up an application and an information packet explaining the duties and requirements of becoming a Libby volunteer fire fighter.

Libby Volunteer Fire Department Logo
National Fire Prevention Week
October 8 – 14, 2023

“Cooking safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention.”

October 8-14, 2023, represented the 101st anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, the longest running public health observance on record. The campaign was brought to life as fire departments and safety advocates across the country promoted its potentially life-saving messages to communities far and wide. While expanding on the 2020 campaign addressing fire safety in the kitchen, this year's messages put emphasis on the importance of remaining attentive while cooking and taking additional precautionary measures to prevent non-fire cooking burn injuries. According to the NFPA, cooking fires remain the leading cause of home fires and injuries. And since inflation is shifting families’ dining behaviors and giving them another reason to prepare and eat meals at home, it is more important than ever for everyone to take steps to ensure fire safety in the kitchen.

While the most common cause of cooking fires is unattended cooking, there are several other factors that deserve equal attention. The NFPA offers safety tip sheets that cover a variety of topics on ways to protect your home and family from cooking fires and burn injuries. All of these resources are free to download, print, and share with your friends and family.

At Sparky.org, kids can find age appropriate videos, games, activities, and apps to help them explore and learn about fire safety including how to prevent and respond to home fires - all in a fun, interactive environment.

Each year during Fire Prevention Week, the Libby Volunteer Fire Department personnel actively participates by visiting Libby area schools to provide a fire prevention and safety education program. This exciting event gives the children a firsthand look at the fire trucks and fire equipment and presents them with the opportunity to engage in an entertaining learning environment. A puppet show featuring Firefighter Frank and a visit from Sparky the Fire Dog highlights the activities.

The LVFD personnel’s involvement continues with reaching out to interested area businesses, community organizations, and special interest groups to answer questions relating to fire safety and fire prevention while focusing on the proper procedures to update and maintain smoke alarms in the business and home. If you have any questions concerning Fire Prevention Week or if your organization would like our volunteers to provide fire prevention education for your staff, please call the Libby Volunteer Fire Department for additional information.



The Legend

Fire Prevention Week commemorates what is known as the Great Chicago Fire that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871. This notorious blaze was one of the largest U.S. disasters of the 19th century, killing 250 people, leaving another 100000 people homeless, destroying 17400 structures, and burning more than 2000 acres.

According to popular legend, about 9:00pm on Sunday, October 8, the fire began in a barn owned by Irish immigrants, Patrick and Catherine O′Leary. The couple had already retired for the night until their neighbors began calling out about the fire in the barn. A rumor, which was put into print by Michael Ahern, the Chicago Republican journalist, has it that Mrs. O′Leary′s cow kicked over a kerosene lantern that had been placed in the barn. However, some 22 years later, Mr. Ahern admitted that he had fabricated the “cow-and-lantern” story that had put the blame on Catherine O′Leary. Sure, there was a barn and a cow, but the official report could not determine the exact cause of the Great Chicago Fire on that fateful day. Despite rumors to the contrary, this legend took and is still widely circulated to this day.

This tragedy changed the way firefighters and the public thought about the importance of fire safety and fire prevention. On October 9, 1911, the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (known today as the International Fire Marshals Association), sponsored the nation′s first Fire Prevention Day with the intent to raise awareness and to educate the public on fire safety. Nine years later, the day became an official national designation when President Woodrow Wilson issued the National Fire Prevention Day proclamation in 1920. To further commemorate this notorious event, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the first National Fire Prevention Week October 4-10, 1925 as a national observance to be honored every year on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls.