Modesto Fire Department

The Modesto Fire Department is sharing a few important safety reminders to help keep our community safe this Halloween season!

🔦 BE SEEN. BE SAFE
Carry a flashlight or glow stick while trick-or-treating, and choose bright or reflective costumes so drivers can easily spot you after dark.

🔌 PLUG IN SAFELY.
Avoid overloading electrical outlets, and never connect multiple power strips or extension cords together. Check decorative lights and cords for damage before use.

🚪KEEP EXITS CLEAR.
Make sure Halloween decorations, props, and party supplies don’t block doorways, hallways, stairways, or emergency exits.

🔥KEEP IT AWAY.
Keep costumes, fake cobwebs, and other decorations at least three feet away from open flames, heaters, and other heat sources.

🕯️LIGHT IT SAFE.
Skip the real candles in your jack-o’-lanterns! Use battery-operated LED candles or solar-powered lights to create that spooky glow without the fire risk.

A few simple precautions can make a big difference. Let’s work together to keep Halloween safe, fun, and full of treats for everyone!

Happy Halloween from the Modesto Fire Department!🎃🚒

Last week, Modesto Fire Chief Shanon Evans and Modesto firefighters had the opportunity to spend time with our communities at a couple of great local events.

Over the weekend, Chief Evans joined Turlock Engine 31 at Downtown Turlock’s Trunk or Treat, where firefighters enjoyed spending time with families, handing out candy, and being part of another fun community event.

On Tuesday, Chief Evans, Medic 1, and Modesto Engine 2 attended the ribbon cutting for the newly renovated 4th Street Park. The project brought major improvements to the park, including Modesto’s first Aquatics Center, a new skatepark, an upgraded playground, shade structures, and new community art for families to enjoy.

Whether it’s celebrating a new community space or spending time with families at local events, we’re proud to be part of the communities we serve.

We love getting out into the community and celebrating with our local families! Thanks to everyone who came out at Patricia Kay Beaver Leadership Magnet and the Ceres Community Center & Recreation Department Trunk or Treat events this weekend. Happy Halloween!

Over the past two days, Modesto Firefighters joined families at two local Trunk or Treat events, sharing Halloween fun with over a thousand kids.

On Friday evening, off-duty firefighters, Engine 15, and Battalion Chief 3 joined more than 350 kids in costume at Beaver Elementary School. Firefighters handed out candy, fire helmets, and stickers throughout the evening.

Today, those same crews were joined by Chief Shanon Evans at the City of Ceres Trunk or Treat, where firefighters handed out candy, fire helmets, and stickers to more than 700 kids from the community.

We always enjoy opportunities to spend time with the families we serve, connect with our community, and be part of the events that make these communities special.

Thank you to Beaver Elementary School and the City of Ceres for hosting!

Earlier this week, Modesto Firefighters responded to a possible gas leak outside a house on Rexford Court.

Engine 7 arrived and found an unusual odor coming from a backyard shed. Recognizing the potential hazard, the crew requested a Hazardous Materials (HazMat) response.

HazMat 41, fire command staff, Medic 1, and a HazMat inspector responded. During their investigation, crews discovered multiple household chemicals and an old military-grade mortar inside the shed.

The Modesto Police Department and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad were called to assist. The area was secured while the bomb squad removed the potentially explosive mortar and HazMat personnel secured the chemicals.

Modesto Fire is an all-risk fire department, responding to emergencies that extend well beyond fires and medical calls. MFD is also one of 12 Cal OES Type I Hazardous Materials response teams, providing specialized capabilities to help identify, assess, and mitigate hazardous materials incidents in California and beyond.

Fire department leadership from Modesto, Stanislaus Consolidated, and Turlock, along with Oakdale Mayor Bairos and Modesto Fire Department administrative staff, were invited to tour the newly constructed LDS Temple on Dale Road this week.

Familiarizing department leadership with large, unique buildings is one way we support emergency preparedness. Tours like this provide valuable insight into a building’s layout, access points, and features, helping inform future pre-incident planning and emergency response considerations.

We appreciate the invitation and the opportunity to strengthen our partnerships and commitment to community safety.

Modesto Firefighters were dispatched at 6:12 a.m. today to a report of smoke coming from a single-story house on Hawthorne Avenue.

While en route, Engine 5 upgraded the incident to a working structure fire after observing a large smoke column. Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke throughout the home and fire coming from the rear. Crews made an aggressive interior fire attack and searched the residence after receiving unclear information about whether anyone remained inside. No one was found, and the fire was quickly extinguished. Two people were displaced by the fire.

The Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the cause.

Congratulations to Modesto Fire Chief Shanon Evans and Deputy Chief Jair Juarez on taking 1st place in the inaugural Steak Cook-Off at the Oakdale Fall Jubilee yesterday!

The competition was part of the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce’s first Oakdale Fall Jubilee at the Oakdale Rodeo Grounds, bringing the community together for a day of great food, family-friendly activities, and local entertainment.

We’re proud to see our Chiefs representing Modesto Fire in the community — and bringing home a little hardware along the way!

Thank you to the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce and everyone who helped make this inaugural event a success.

Modesto and Stanislaus Consolidated Fire crews responded to a kitchen fire in the 2300 block of Joy Avenue in Ceres after receiving reports that two elderly occupants were unable to escape the residence.

Engine 15, responding from downtown Ceres, arrived to find smoke coming from the single-story home and Ceres Police officers working to remove one occupant. Firefighters began fire suppression while Quint 18 searched the residence, locating and removing a second occupant from a back bedroom.

Both occupants received advanced life support (ALS) care from Modesto Fire Department paramedic firefighters, who worked in coordination with American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance crews before the occupants were transported to Doctors Medical Center.

Engine 15, Engine 19, Quint 18, and Battalion Chief 3, the Modesto Fire Department companies based in Ceres, were joined by additional MFD resources from west and south Modesto as well as Battalion Chief 2 from Stanislaus Consolidated Fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Engine 1 on scene of a pickup fire early this morning at Burney Street and La Loma Avenue in downtown Modesto.