In 1943, a fire in a neighboring community resulted in the death of two children. Ashburn, a small community itself, did not have a fire department and decided to form one in an effort to prevent another tragedy. A local Baptist minister recruited seven other local citizens and organized the Ashburn Volunteer Fire Department in spring 1944. The AVFD was officially charted by the Commonwealth of Virginia in the fall of 1944. The mission of the AVFD was to provide fire protection services to the citizens of Ashburn.

As the years have passed and the population has expanded so has the level of service. Servicing an area of 36 square miles and protecting over 44,000 people. The Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department provides a broad range of fire and life safety services. Expanding upon our original mission, by providing fire suppression, technical rescue, and emergency medical services to the Ashburn area and surrounding jurisdictions. This is accomplished through the combined and cooperative efforts of volunteer and career professionals.