This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from April 6, 2025. Looking back at the Radiator Specialty Company explosion and fire in Union County, NC, on November 26, 1980, from newspaper accounts in the Charlotte News and Charlotte Observer over the next couple days. On a Wednesday morning, just after 9 a.m., an …
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Presenting researching notes on the history of rescue and ambulance services in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Read research notes (pdf) See Google Drive folder of clippings. Summary Before 1960 1921 – First advertisements appear for ambulance services in newspapers. Operators are car and taxi companies. 1926 – Funeral homes begin adding ambulance services. 1947 – …
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On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the following names will be added to the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the annual ceremony in downtown Raleigh. See below for narratives and notes, about each member and how they died. John Alexander Bowen – Fayetteville – 4/16/22 Nathan Clark Burgess – Raleigh – 11/12/23 Tony Ray Garrison …
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This is a blog version of a Facebook posting on March 25, 2025 Recounting the fatal helicopter crash in downtown Kernersville on September 25, 1984, during the attempted rescue/recovery of an injured worker atop a decommissioned water tower. The incident started about 6:10 p.m. after 19 year-old Charles Glenwood Tompkins Jr. as injured while working …
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Joseph Rodriguez / Greensboro News and Record photos On April 13, 1985, the largest fire in Greensboro’s history destroyed turn-of-the-last-century warehouse buildings–including some that were nearly finished being renovated into apartments–on both sides of the 300 block of South Davie Street. The three-alarm fire was battled for hours, it destroyed and severely damaged seven buildings, …
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Added Information – 2025 On April 16, 1956, Raleigh City Council approved a request from Civil Defense authorities to use the fifth floor of the Raleigh Fire Department drill tower as a temporary ground observer station. See excerpt below, as well as council’s rejection of establishing an observatory post in the Jaycee Park. By December …
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Renovations are poised to start at Raleigh Fire Station 7 at 2100 Glascock Street. The 1959 engine house will be upgraded with improvements including new bathrooms and showers, new windows and flooring, LED lighting, and bifold bay doors. During the estimated four-month project, Squad 7 will move to Fire Station 11 at 2925 Glenridge Road. …
Bucket trucks working. Let’s look back at the Tarrytown Mall fire in Rocky Mount on August 12, 1967. Was the first enclosed mall in eastern North Carolina, the third enclosed mall in the state, and the 26th enclosed mall in the United States. (The first was Southdale in Edina, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis, and …
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from March 27, 2021. Who wants some Eden and Tri-Cities fire history? Found these pics, maps excerpts, and news articles from various sources. Three departments merged in 1967 to create Eden FD: Leaksville FD Jan 1915 – No fire department. [Sanborn] Dec 1921 – Two volunteer …
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Listen to radio traffic. Two alarms were struck on English Oaks Drive on Tuesday night, March 11, 2025. Dispatched 10:40 p.m. for 6560 English Oaks Drive. Four-unit, two-story townhouse building with 5,600-ish square-feet. Built 1984, from tax records. First alarm with E4 E16 E15 E18 L4 L16 B5 B4 R16 ISO14. Address corrected to 6535 …