Looking back at the explosion and fire that destroyed Salem Junior High School in Burke County, NC, in March 1987. Tuesday night, March 17, 1987. Address was 1311 Salem Road, south of Morganton. Three-story brick building with 25,000+ square-feet. It was located on a campus that also included two elementary school facilities, a gymnasium, and …
Continue reading ‘Burke County School Explosion – March 17, 1987’ »
Fifty years ago this month, the Broyhill furniture factory in Marion, NC, burned on January 14, 1976. Here are some notes about the incident. – Wednesday morning. – January 14, 1976. – 11:05 a.m. – Otis L. Broyhill furniture plant on West Henderson Street. [AC, 1/15/76] – Three-story building housed finishing room, where fire started. …
Continue reading ‘Broyhill Furniture Factory Fire – January 14, 1976’ »
Research notes on the history of the Raleigh Fire Department hazardous materials response program. Pre-History 1980, Nov 19 – New federal regulations took effect to ensure safe management of hazardous waste, including identifying/notifying authorities of all sites that contained such products. 1982, Sep 13 – Fire in Charlotte at a chemical company forced the evacuation …
This is a version of a Facebook posting from December 6, 2021. On December 6, 1981, Wrightsville Beach volunteer Lt. Robert M. Wynn, 28, died in the line of duty at the Doak Apartments fire. Also severely injured was volunteer firefighter Jon Dennison, 21, who suffered second and third degree burns. At 1:13 a.m. on …
Continue reading ‘Wrightsville Beach Line of Duty Death – December 6, 1981’ »
This posting is a consolidation and expansion of two Facebook postings and discussion threads from December 2025. See part 1 and part 2. Random notes on the history of fire alarm “street boxes” in Charlotte. Reference Documents View list of box locations before 1975 (PDF) Timeline Before 1900 1887, Nov – First fire alarm system …
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from November 6, 2025. Morning reading. How ’bout some EMS history from Mecklenburg County and Charlotte. Forty-seven years ago this week, MEDIC, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency, began operating as the county’s new ambulance service. They were placed in service at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, November 1, …
Continue reading ‘MEDIC Starts Service in Charlotte – November 1, 1978’ »
From our archives, incomplete parts of a vintage Raleigh street map, circa 1960s. Download larger version (PDF, 61MB)
Wake County history hit. For our Sunday reading, let’s take a deep dive into the story of New Hope Station 2 (now their main station) and Wendell Station 2. Turning the clock back at the fall of 1987, when county commissioners considered proposals to add fire protection to the so-called “no man’s land” in eastern …
Continue reading ‘New Hope Station 2, Wendell Station 2, and No Man’s Land’ »
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from August 2025. Not an old engine house. Located behind the Quorum Center on West Jones Street, this old building in downtown Raleigh is not a former fire station. However, that’s the story that some Raleigh-ites have heard over the years and decades. That’s also what …
Chart updated October 15, 2025. Posting created August 23, 2023. This is a blog version of an earlier Facebook posting. Presenting a new infographic, a high-level history of fire service governance in Wake County. Source is this research on the history of Wake County fire protection and fire service governance. See also this history chart …
Continue reading ‘Wake County Fire Service Governance Timeline’ »