Onancock fire department offering free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

The Onancock Volunteer Fire Department is offering free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to community members through a grant from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.

The department applied earlier this year for a Community Risk Reduction Grant and was selected for funding along with 37 other agencies. The grant provided detectors that will be distributed and installed in local homes.

According to the department, more than 340,000 residential fires were reported nationwide in 2024, with nearly 48% caused by cooking. Cooking remains the leading cause of home fires nationally and in Virginia.

The department also reported that 1,213 people have died in home fires across the United States so far in 2026, including five fatalities on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Although firefighters respond to hundreds of alarms that ultimately prove to be false, Fire Chief Mike Rydberg stressed that working detectors save lives and protect property.

Modern building materials and household furnishings can cause fires to generate highly toxic smoke containing hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide and other dangerous substances. The department warned that occupants can be overcome quickly without detectors providing an immediate warning.

Onancock volunteers and career personnel from the Accomack County Department of Public Safety are available to install the detectors at no charge.

Residents may request free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors by completing the department’s online request form.