Woodstock Fire Department Invites Residents to 'Light the Night' Red April 26, May 3 in Honor of Fallen Firefighters

The Woodstock Fire Department is asking residents to turn their porch lights red, or place a red candle in a window, from April 26 through May 3, 2026, as part of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's "Light the Night" campaign, a nationwide tribute leading up to National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

The gesture is small. The meaning behind it is not.

The annual campaign honors firefighters across the country who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty during the previous year. Landmarks, fire departments, businesses, organizations and families are all invited to take part, and the foundation's ask goes beyond simply swapping out a bulb. Participants are encouraged to share photos and the personal stories behind their lights on social media using the hashtags #nffflightthenight2026 and #firehero2026, helping to "shine red in all 50 states" and keep the names and memories of fallen firefighters visible nationwide.

Behind the campaign is the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit based in Emmitsburg, Maryland, that has spent decades honoring America's fallen fire heroes and providing direct support to their surviving families. Its annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, held each October in Emmitsburg at the National Fire Academy, is the centerpiece of the nation's tribute to those lost in service. "Light the Night" extends that remembrance outward, turning neighborhoods from Georgia to Alaska into a sea of red for one week each spring.

For Woodstock and Cherokee County residents, participation requires nothing more than a hardware store run. Swap a porch or garage light for a red bulb, set a red candle in a window, and leave it burning through May 3. The foundation encourages everyone who participates to share their light online and tell the story behind it, whether that's honoring a firefighter lost nationally, a colleague remembered locally, or simply a neighbor's way of saying thank you to the men and women who run toward danger for a living.

Woodstock Fire Department responds to thousands of emergency calls each year across the city and surrounding areas of Cherokee County. By sharing this campaign, the department is inviting the broader community into a moment of collective remembrance, a reminder that behind every call answered, every structure entered, every life saved, there are firefighters who accepted a risk that sometimes demands everything.

To sign up and find additional ways to get involved in the 2026 National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, visit weekend.firehero.org. Full details on the Light the Night campaign are available at firehero.org/light-the-night.