Fire Station #10 on 30th Avenue North trades its usual engine-bay quiet for bounce houses, candy and a haunted house walkthrough this Saturday, as St. Petersburg Fire Rescue throws open its doors for a Halloween event ahead of others later in the month. The free Haunted Fire House runs from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with the haunted attraction itself opening at 6:30 p.m., offering what the department describes as spooky fun and sweet treats for families of all ages.
According to a Facebook post from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, the outdoor festival area will include bounce houses, crafts, a photo area, games, and music alongside the candy. Everyone is welcome at the general festival grounds, but the haunted house walkthrough itself is recommended for ages 11 and up, according to a Facebook video from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue. The department is also handing out free bicycle helmets and life jackets for kids in the outdoor area, folding its injury-prevention outreach into the Halloween festivities.
A Toy Drive Twist on the Haunted House
Admission to the event is free, but St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is also selling $10 Fast Passes that let visitors skip the general queue lines, with all proceeds going toward the department's annual Holiday Toy Drive, per an Instagram post from the department. It's a small add-on that turns a night of screams and bounce houses into a direct fundraiser for local kids come the holidays.
The haunted house caps off a month of Fire Prevention programming for the department, which held an all-station Open House on October 3 and its 30-year tradition Block Party at Fossil Park on October 10, the department noted in an Instagram reel. Fire Prevention Month is observed nationally every October, giving departments across the country a seasonal platform for public safety outreach.
One Stop on a Crowded Halloween Calendar
Saturday's event is just one entry on St. Petersburg's packed municipal Halloween lineup. The city's schedule also includes Tricks, Treats and Trunks at Campbell Park on October 23, the St. Pete Pier Costumed Dog Parade on October 24, and Trail-or-Treat at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve on October 31, according to St. Pete Now.
The fire department's haunted house also competes for attention alongside bigger-ticket haunted attractions, including TASCO's 18th annual Field of Screams at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and FloridaRAMA's Victorian Gothic haunt built by a local artist, per the same St. Pete Now rundown of the season's events.
A Department Stretched Across a Growing City
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue operates 13 fixed fire stations staffed by 357 sworn emergency responders who answer more than 58,000 emergency calls a year, according to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. The agency traces its roots to 1888 as the St. Petersburg Fire Department, officially rebranding to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue in 1993 to reflect its expanded advanced life support emergency medical services, per the St. Pete Catalyst.
Under Fire Chief Keith Watts, the department received $49.5 million for its general fund and $25 million for its EMS fund in the city's Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which added eight firefighter and paramedic positions, as reported by The Weekly Challenger. That funding picture has come under scrutiny this year: in August, city officials began discussing a special fire assessment fee meant to protect SPFR's funding and staffing against potential property tax revenue losses exceeding $54 million, according to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's coverage of state tax proposals that could hit local government revenues.
Against that backdrop of budget debates and station upgrades — including a new West St. Pete fire station replacing a decades-old building — the Haunted Fire House offers a simpler, lower-stakes way for residents to meet the people who answer those calls. For one Saturday night at Station #10, the bounce houses and candy come with a side of community face time with the crews who keep showing up.
