Honoring the Fire Departments of Keuka Lake This Winter
By Penny Carlton, photo from the Hammondsport Fire Department
Winter around Keuka Lake has a way of quieting the world.
Snow softens the hills. Chimneys send thin ribbons of smoke into the sky. Main streets glow a little earlier, a little warmer. It’s a season that invites us indoors — to slow down, to gather, to rest.
But winter is also one of the busiest and most demanding seasons for the fire departments that protect the villages and rural roads surrounding Keuka Lake.
From Hammondsport to Penn Yan, and through Branchport, Dundee, Prattsburgh, Pulteney, and Wayne, when the temperatures drop, the calls do not.
Winter on Keuka: A Different Kind of Fire Season
Cold weather brings a unique set of challenges around the lake — challenges shaped by geography, history, and weather.
Chimney and wood-stove fires rise as families rely on alternative heat. Space heaters and overloaded outlets test older electrical systems. Snow-covered back roads, steep lake hills, and whiteout conditions slow response times. Frozen hydrants and limited water access along the shoreline demand quick thinking and experience.
Many homes around Keuka were built generations ago. Many seasonal properties aren’t designed for deep winter use. And when something goes wrong, help often has to travel farther, navigate worse conditions, and arrive ready for anything.
This is winter on Keuka — beautiful, demanding, and unforgiving.
Hammondsport Fire Department
Protecting a Village Built on History & Hills
In Hammondsport, winter response means navigating narrow streets, lakefront properties, and hillside homes that don’t always cooperate with snow and ice.
The Hammondsport Fire Department answers calls ranging from chimney fires in historic houses to emergency medical calls during storms, accidents along Route 54, and mutual aid requests throughout the lake region. Many of its members are volunteers — neighbors who know every curve of the road and every shortcut through town.
They leave family dinners. They wake to pagers in the middle of the night. They respond not because it’s easy — but because this is home.
Penn Yan Fire Department
A Hub of Help at the Top of the Y
At the north end of the lake, Penn Yan often serves as both first responder and regional anchor.
Winter brings increased call volume, structure fires in tightly packed neighborhoods, medical emergencies during extreme cold, and frequent mutual aid calls to surrounding communities. The Penn Yan Fire Department plays a critical role in the wider safety net that protects the entire Keuka Lake region — especially during major storms when resources are stretched thin.
Training, coordination, and calm under pressure matter most when conditions are at their worst. Penn Yan’s firefighters bring all three, day after day, night after night. And like it’s sister town on the southern shore, volunteers are the backbone.
The Smaller Villages, The Same Big Commitment
Beyond the larger villages, the smaller communities surrounding Keuka Lake — Branchport, Dundee, Prattsburgh, Pulteney, and Wayne — are protected almost entirely by volunteer fire departments.
These are farmers, mechanics, teachers, shop owners, parents, and retirees who leave work, meals, and warm homes when the pager sounds. Winter only magnifies the challenge: longer response distances, rural roads blanketed in snow, limited staffing during work hours, and fewer resources — paired with the same life-threatening conditions faced by larger departments.
Yet time and again, these volunteers show up — not only for their own towns, but in support of neighboring villages through mutual aid. Their service is quiet, steady, and deeply rooted, proving that even in the smallest places, courage runs strong.
More Than Sirens, Gear & Lights
What most of us never see happens between the calls.
Firefighters checking hydrants in freezing temperatures. Training drills held in subzero weather. Equipment maintenance in unheated bays. Fundraisers that keep volunteer departments operational. Families who accept missed holidays, interrupted sleep, and constant uncertainty.
These departments are not just emergency responders — they are cornerstones of trust in every Keuka Lake community.
How We Can All Support Those Who Protect Us
Our local fire departments don’t stand alone — they are sustained by the communities they serve.
This winter, consider supporting them in the ways that matter most:
• Attend local fire department fundraisers — pancake breakfasts, chicken BBQs, raffles, and community events help keep equipment maintained and training funded.
• Consider volunteering your time — whether as a firefighter, EMT, auxiliary member, or event helper, many departments rely entirely on neighbors stepping up.
• Practice winter fire safety — clean chimneys, use space heaters wisely, check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and be mindful of older electrical systems.
• Teach fire safety to your children — simple lessons at home can save lives and build respect for first responders.
• Keep our firefighters and their families in your prayers — for safety on the roads, strength during long nights, and safe returns home after every call.
Because supporting our fire departments isn’t just something we do in emergencies —
it’s something we do all year long.
More Than Emergency Responders
Beyond emergencies, our local fire departments are woven into the everyday life of the Keuka Lake region. They’re the ones leading the way in holiday and summer parades, directing traffic for community celebrations, helping local organizations host special events, and quietly stepping in wherever an extra set of hands is needed. You’ll see them flipping pancakes at fundraisers, setting up tents before dawn, cheering from the sidelines at school events, and showing up for causes that strengthen the heart of our villages. In every season, they embody the true meaning of friend and neighbor — present not only in moments of crisis, but in the shared joys and traditions that make life around Keuka Lake feel like home.
A Keuka Roots Thank You
At Keuka Roots, we believe places come alive through the people who protect them.
This winter, as smoke curls from chimneys and snow piles up along village sidewalks, take a moment to think about the men and women ready to respond when something goes wrong — whether you live in a lakeside village, a hillside home, or a quiet stretch of country road.
Because when the lake freezes and the nights grow long, the fire departments of Hammondsport, Penn Yan, Branchport, Dundee, Prattsburgh, Pulteney, and Wayne stay ready — watching over our homes, our families, and the stories that make Keuka Lake home.
