Cedar Area Fire & Rescue

01/23/2026

Did you know ... that the required monthly training for our staff members is often season-specific?

This month, all crews are brushing up on their ice rescue skills, with training both in the classroom and out on Lake Leelanau. Crews practice hands-on scenarios for rescue of individuals on both unstable ice and already in the water. We recommend double checking ice thickness and not going out on thin or unstable ice, but if you do, we're ready to come help you get back to shore!

01/20/2026

Happy Anniversary to Lt. Joe Voiles! Lt. Voiles joined the department in 2020 and now serves as a Lieutenant, Training Officer, and Firefighter/Paramedic.

In the last year, amongst other accomplishments, Lt. Voiles competed in the World's Strongest Firefighter competition, taking 7th place overall, while also spending time in the classroom completing the Leadership in Supervision class at the National Fire Academy and achieving his Fire Officer 2 certification!

01/18/2026

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning covering our service area stretching from 7 pm tonight to 7 am Tuesday morning. This storm is expected to bring 6-8" of new snowfall, windchill well below 0 degrees, and hazardous travel conditions. The NWS is also beginning to issue warnings about wind chills in the -10 to -20 degree range later in the week, so please prepare for very cold temperatures and poor driving conditions for a large portion of this upcoming week!

Heavy snow and bitter cold wind chills are expected to begin tonight and continue through Monday. New snowfall of 4-8” with locally higher amounts are possible by Monday night/Tuesday morning. Wind gusts of 30-45+ mph are expected Monday morning and afternoon. Wind chills will drop well below zero through Tuesday as well. Combination of heavy snow, winds, and cold will create widespread hazardous travel conditions across northern Michigan with whiteouts possible at times, especially across open areas. Be sure to use caution if traveling tonight through Tuesday.

01/16/2026

The National Weather Service is beginning to issue warnings for a potential severe winter weather event early next week. Please take some extra time this weekend to prepare for "dangerously cold wind chills and travel-impacting lake effect snows" from Monday into Tuesday.

Higher end impacts continue trending likely with an arctic air mass set to pass through the Great Lakes. Widespread dangerously cold wind chills and travel-impacting lake effect snows are anticipated Monday into Tuesday. Be sure to keep tabs on the forecast for updates!

01/16/2026

Did you know ... that the first full-time employees of Cedar Area Fire & Rescue were hired in 2007 when we were still known as the Solon/Centerville Fire Department?

Pictured are Tim Johnson (on the left, now a Lieutenant with CAFR) and Shaun Beady (on the right), the first two full-time employees hired by Solon/Centerville Fire Department. They provided coverage at the station during the day, with our volunteer and part-time members providing coverage at other times. Over the last 19 years, the department has transitioned from this limited coverage by two full-time employees to 24/7 station coverage by nine full-time staff providing firefighting, technical rescue, and advanced life support services to our four townships!

01/09/2026

Did you know that more home fires occur in the winter than any other season? See the graphic below for tips on how to avoid home fires this winter!

01/06/2026

The final numbers are in and CAFR totaled up 763 calls in 2025! This is over 170 calls more than we ran in 2024, a 30% increase in year-over-year call volume! This is also over 140 calls more than we ran in our previous busiest year (622 calls in 2021). The month of December included four structure fires (one in CAFR's service area and three in areas where we provide mutual aid) as well as lots of medical calls and some storm-related hazardous conditions calls. We are working on our annual report, which will provide a more detailed breakdown of the call numbers for 2025, so keep your eyes out for that over the next couple months!

01/02/2026

Did you know ... that in the responses to our 2025 Community Survey, many of you requested more and better communication from the department?

We appreciate all of you that took the time to fill out the Community Survey in 2025, and we are listening! To go along with our monthly call statistics posts, we will be starting a new "Did You Know" campaign. Every Friday, we will bring you a "Did You Know" post about a department-related topic, such as safety tips, department training, apparatus, how our department works currently, or our department history. We look forward to sharing this information with you through 2026!

12/29/2025

Winter is back with a vengeance!
MANY vehicles in the ditch this morning. Roadways are not the greatest. Snow, blowing snow, and limited visibility.

Do not drive unless you absolutely have to. Please allow the Road Commission to do their magic. Snow conditions will lessen in the afternoon, but strong winds will still create blowing snow and limited visibility.

Storm conditions should dissipate early tomorrow morning. We could see 8"+ when it's all said and done.

12/28/2025

The National Weather Service has released the following WINTER STORM WARNING starting at 1 am on Monday that covers our service area. Please prepare for possible power outages, poor road conditions, and other storm-related issues.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Ga***rd MI
140 PM EST Sun Dec 28

Leelanau-Antrim-Otsego-Benzie-Grand Traverse-Kalkaska-Manistee-
Wexford-Charlevoix
..WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 1 AM
EST TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Light freezing rain transitioning to wind-driven snow later
tonight and Monday. Total snow accumulations between 6 and 9
inches and ice accumulations around a light glaze. Winds gusting
as high as 55 mph.

* WHERE...A portion of Northern Lower Michigan.

* WHEN...From 1 AM Monday to 1 AM EST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Visibilities may drop below 1/4 mile due to falling and
blowing snow. Whiteout conditions are expected and will make
travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. Travel could
be very difficult. The hazardous conditions will impact the Monday
morning and evening commutes. Strong winds could cause tree damage
and produce local power outages.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from our firehouse family to yours! Wishing everyone a joyful and safe holiday.

12/21/2025

A difficult start to Sunday morning in Leelanau County. Your CAFR personnel responded as mutual aid for Glen Lake Fire Department with a structure fire that quickly spread to three homes.

Despite the devastating loss of one residence, the rapid response and fire attack from all involved departments successfully limited the damage to the two neighboring homes from a possible similar fate.

We are thinking of the families impacted by this morning's events. Thank you to all the first responders who were on the scene and represented from several different departments.