How To Donate House to Fire Department

Published on May 06th, 2023

Using your home for training purposes will help your local fire personnel practice essential safety skills and gain crucial experience in navigating challenging circumstances involving walls, windows, and debris.

As a property owner, if you have an old house or a house that needs too many repairs to tackle, have you considered donating your home to the local fire department as an act of charity, kindness, and salvation for others? In fact, such a donation not only saves you money but also benefits firefighters, your family, and others in your community through support and goodwill provided by your benevolence.

Demolition services costs can range from "$2 to $17 per square foot, with an average between $4 and $15 per square foot. For a complete teardown of a 1 1,500-square-foot home, rates can run from $3,000 in rural areas to $18,000 in densely-populated cities. A complete demo of a house and its foundation or basement can cost as much as $25,000," according to HomeAdvisor.

By allowing the fire department to destroy your home in a training exercise, you will be able to avoid these demolition costs and help the volunteer fire department's training exercises and better prepare your community for a real disaster - and get free demolition under certain restrictions. The ground where your house once stood will also be cleared of any remaining structure and debris.

How Burning Your Home Down in a Safe Way will Help Local Fire Departments and Fire Officials

Fire departments often burn existing buildings or donated property on purpose. During the process where the building is completely burned, the fire department practices fire control, equipment testing operations, and other maneuvers for training that will have a substantial benefit to the community and provide training benefits for the fire department personnel. As a donor, your contribution to the fire department can also support funds for local nonprofits, shelters, and charities, offering love and relief to homeless individuals and those in poverty.

Fire departments are having a tough time finding homes to use for training exercises due to the close proximity of other homes and state law. If your home qualifies and isn't under substantial restriction from local authorities, then you might want to consider allowing the fire department to use your home for public service. In some cases, donating items like walls or windows can be a viable option too.

Income Tax Information for a Property Donated to the Fire Department

According to multiple tax professionals, to get a charitable contribution deduction for the fair market value of the property, you, as the taxpayer, must have contributed the property in its entirety to the fire department. The regulations and IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, contain no requirement for a transfer of a deed or the taxpayer's entire interest in the property to gain the tax deduction for their charitable contributions.

When preparing your income tax return or looking for tax advice for such property, always be sure to check with your accountant. In some situations, the money saved via a donation can be reported on your tax return.

Before your home can be used by the donee organization and the greater benefit of training exercises, you will need to do the following:

• Research for a charitable organization
• Ensure there are no tax disputes on your property
• Get a written appraisal of the property for its current residential use
• Obtain permits if and where needed
• Disconnect all utilities
• Check with your accountant for IRS rules and regulations
  

For more information on donating your house to your local fire department for fire prevention operations and training exercises, reach out to your town offices or fire chief to see what information they have on hand. You can also consider contacting charitable organizations like the Red Cross, United Way, and other nonprofits that may have information on volunteering opportunities and philanthropic efforts in line with your interests. These programs often rely on the assistance provided by generous donors and volunteers, so your involvement as a person could have a significant impact.