Latest news with #Guil-RandFireDepartment
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Local crew helps fight western NC wildfires
RANDOLPH COUNTY — Two local firefighters with a firetruck are helping battle one of the large wildfires in western North Carolina this week. Guil-Rand Fire Department Lt. Tyler Myers and firefighter Bryan Roberts went to Polk County on Tuesday to help crews counter the Black Cove wildfire. The two men are among firefighters from across the state who have volunteered to provide mutual aid requested by North Carolina fire officials. 'We try to help out whenever we can,' Guil-Rand Fire Chief Luke Richardson said. 'The folks out west are our neighbors and it's a time when they are in need.' Collectively, the Black Cove Fire, Deep Woods Fire and Fish Hook Fire in Polk County have burned more than 6,200 acres, destroyed 22 structures, prompted evacuations and put one firefighter in the hospital, the county and N.C. Forest Service said. A new fire was reported Thursday in Swain County that already had grown to more than 900 acres. The fires are rapidly growing due to a glut of fuel created in late September by Hurricane Helene that rapidly dried in the unusually low humidity that has prevailed in the region through March, fire officials said. The fires have more than doubled in size since first being reported March 21. Smoke plumes and red flames from the fires were intense enough to be recorded by infrared imaging onboard the NOAA/NASA Suomi-NPP satellite, NOAA reported. Myers and Roberts are working an overnight 7 p.m. to 7 a.m shift, Richardson told The High Point Enterprise. Their duties include patrolling the perimeter of the fire zone to look for flames flaring along fire lines. 'They are also doing structural protection,' Richardson said. 'They would sit by homes and keep the fire away from the homes.' The two firefighters are using a Guil-Rand Fire Department brush truck, which is a vehicle that has off-road capability. Myers and Roberts are serving through Monday. Richardson said the Guil-Rand Fire Department may send additional crews this weekend or early next week to western North Carolina. This is the second time in six months that the department has helped in western North Carolina. Crews went in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene. pjohnson@ | 336-888-3528 | @HPEpaul
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Piedmont Triad fire departments help fight western North Carolina wildfires
ARCHDALE, N.C. (WGHP) — Across western North Carolina, wildfires are raging as all 100 North Carolina counties remain under a burn ban. Crews from East Side Fire Department in Randolph County shared a video of their efforts to put out the flames in Polk County over the weekend. Polk County and Henderson County leaders are calling for everyone living in the affected areas to evacuate their homes. Nearly 3,000 acres burned with no containment recorded by the forestry service. Now, it's all hands on deck to help put out those fires. 'It's really hard work … They need all the help they can get,' Guil-Rand Fire Department Assistant Chief of Operations Chris White said. The GRFD got a notice from the Office of State Fire Marshal on Monday asking for more manpower and resources to help fight the fires in western North Carolina. The GRFD said they quickly responded. They sent a lieutenant and a firefighter up the very next day to Polk County along with a truck with tools to help fight the fire. White said the Black Cove fire is burning on extremely steep land, which makes it hard to contain. 'The low humidity is contributing and the … high winds also … The terrain … makes it difficult to take care of,' White said. Another fire department from the Triad also went to help. A team from the East Side Fire Department was deployed over the weekend, working a 25-hour shift. Fire Chief Eric Hoffman said the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene last year is making firefighting even harder. 'The forest floor is littered with downed trees and heavy debris, which, coupled with the steep terrain, makes navigating the woods and firefighting extremely difficult. It also provides a seemingly unending amount of fuel for the fire to burn hot and fast. We saw this firsthand,' Hoffman said. 'We ask that you keep the firefighters and residents of Polk County in your prayers. They have had a tough several months with Hurricane Helene and now the wildfires. What we observed while there are tough and resilient people who are doing their best to support each other and make the most out of a bad situation. Hopefully, some significant rains will come to the area to help douse the fires and lower the danger to lives and property.' GRFD firefighters are committed to staying in Polk County through March 31. They may have to send additional crews if conditions don't improve. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lanes on I-85 North near Archdale reopen after overturned car crash, Guil-Rand fire officials say
RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A crash in which a car overturned caused lane closures on Interstate 85 North Saturday, according to the Guil-Rand Fire Department. A Facebook post explains that crews were working between mile markers 111 and 112. The two left lanes of I-85N near exit 111 were shut down for approximately one hour. There is no more information available at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
