Vintage Photos of Henderson High School Fire, 1968

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Passed along from our friends at the Henderson Fire Department is this Flickr album of vintage pictures of the Henderson High School fire on April 3, 1968. They were taken by Lyman McLean, a freelance photographer who worked for both the Henderson Daily Dispatch and the police department.

The shots are from his personal collection, and now part of the Vance County Historical Society collections. They’ve been posted to the Flickr album by Gill Clopton . Visit the album to see larger versions, and more photos. (See also Clopton’s Flickr page, for many more historical photos of Henderson and Vance County.)

2017-01-24-hfd3Lyman McLean photos, courtesy Gill Clopton/Vance County Historical Society

The fire started about noon, took about five hours to extinguish, and was confined mostly to classrooms and the library. And utilized a power company “bucket truck” (!) for second-story hose stream, as shown above.

The only injuries were two city firemen who were hospitalized with smoke inhalation. HFD and most (or likely all) Vance County fire departments responded. 

2017-01-24-hfd1Lyman McLean photos, courtesy Gill Clopton/Vance County Historical Society

The high-resolution pictures include a shot of Henderson’s 1940 American LaFrance 500 quadruple combination (or “quad”). Registration number L-1215, model 575 CDO, with a factory date of February 29, 1940. And five-man cab. The truck appears to have been subsequently scrapped, notes the Peckham database. 

2017-01-24-hfd2Lyman McLean photos, courtesy Gill Clopton/Vance County Historical Society

Below the text of an Associated Press story that appeared in the Danville Register the next day.

Fire Damages Henderson High School

HENDERSON, N.C. (AP) – Fire raged through a wing of the Henderson High School about noon Wednesday, leaving damage estimated unofficially at $200,000. About 850 students and members of the faculty escaped without injury but two Henderson firemen, Eugene Daniel and R. T. Robinson, were overcome by smoke and were hospitalized. The fire broke out on the second floor of the northwest wing of the T-shaped building while most students in the affected section were at lunch. Damage was confined mainly to classrooms and the school library. The fire was extinguished about 5 p.m. Officials said the school would be closed Thursday and there was no immediate decision on when or where classes would resume.

Most of the firefighting equipment of the city and that of Vance County volunteer fire departments was brought into action. Witnesses said the fire apparently started in the home economics department and spread to several classrooms. How the fire started was not certain. Downstairs, students filed orderly out of the building and into a slow drizzle of rain, thinking the alarm was only signaling a fire drill. Once outside they saw the smoke pouring from upstairs windows. The two-story, brick building is about 30 years old.

One student, Dennis Tharington, a senior, said the only students upstairs were a few who were studying in the library. “Coach (Albert) Capps was running up and down the hall upstairs telling everyone to get out, that the building was on fire,” Tharington said. Tharington said he was in a downstairs classroom when he heard the alarm. “We all thought it was just a regular fire drill, even though it was drizzling outside,” Tharington said. “But we all got out pretty quick. It was probably about two minutes before we were all out.

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Vintage Wilmington Airport Fire Department Badge, Crash Trucks

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Found for sale on eBay, a vintage Wilmington airport fire department badge, back when the airport was called Bluethenthal Field. It was named for aviator Arthur Bluethenthal, the first person from Wilmington killed in World War I. 

The airport was dedicated in 1928 as same. Its name was changed in the 1950s to New Hanover County Airport, in 1988 to New Hanover County International Airport, and in 1997 to Wilmington International Airport.

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Other interesting bits: during World War II, the airport was used by the Army Air Force for antisubmarine patrols and training. During the 1960s, the Air Force stationed several fighter jets at the airport. That’s likely the reason that these former Air Force crash trucks protected the airport as shown below. 

Early Crash Trucks

Below is Crash 1, a 1954 American LaFrance, one of the “O” models used by the military. Likely Serial #54L210, 1954 American LaFrance Type O-11A, former North Carolina Air National Guard. 500/1000/100 and 80 gallon tank of Chlorobromomethane, an extinguishing agent. Photo found for sale on eBay. Click to slightly enlarge:

Below is a 1975 Oshkosh M-1500, civilian version of the military P-4. Specs 1250/1500/180 and operated by the New Hanover County Fire Department. We blogged about this before, noting that there once were two Air Force installations in Wilmington, and the 48th Interceptor Squadron was protected by a crash truck at the airport. Photo found for sale on eBay. Click to slightly enlarge:

Dry-chemical unit carried on a 1989 Ford. The airport currently has a pair of Oshkosh 4×4 crash trucks, one in service and one in reserve. See photos of those rigs from 2010 (scroll down the page). Photo found for sale on eBay. Click to slightly enlarge:

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Ted H. and Mark R. for crash truck data, via the Fire Trucks at War Facebook page.

Reader Comments

From readers responding to an earlier blog archives posting:

DJ – They had this truck in 1979, along with a 1 1/4 ton International RIV with a skid-mounted Purple K/AFFF unit. There were a lot of these trucks at airports and airfields all over. The nomenclature for these units was ‘P-4’.

DJ – New Hanover County Airport operated their own FD. When I attended the NC Fire College in Wilmington that year, I stopped by the station to check out the trucks before flying back on a small plane. There were two trucks, the Oshkosh and the International, and two personnel on duty (one for each truck). That was typical airport staffing at that time (RDU was no different back then, either). I don’t even think they staffed the station 24 hours

Ryan – Airport fire protection was always done in house. Before New Hanover took over sole control of the un-incorporated areas of the county in October, Wrightsboro VFD and Castle Hayne VFD responded along with the airport’s fire service depending on the “Alert Level”. I believe now to that due to new FAA regs that they have to have more people on duty during regular business hours for normal passenger flights. I’m not sure of the time but sometime in the night after the last schedule passenger flight the tower switched over to one of the DC towers for the airspace and non-passenger commercial flights go through that tower. However a minimum public safety crew is still on duty. (Hope that’s not to confusing, just how it was explained to me recently by a friend that works there.)

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Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter – Winter 2017

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What’s been happening lately with your fire department? See the latest issue of the Raleigh Fire Department newsletter. Incidents, events, promotions, retirements, facility updates, and more. Plus pictures. And all inside of eight pages.

The newsletter is published three times yearly. The editor is Yours Truly, and who is ably assisted by many in the department’s various divisions. Plus Mrs. Blogger, our proofreader and copy editor. Read the latest issue (PDF), which has been posted to www.raleighfirenews.org.

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Statesville Fire Captain Killed by Bomb Blast, 1967

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On November 22, 1967, Statesville Fire Captain Lee Roy Horton, 41, was killed in a bomb blast, when his booby-trapped personal vehicle exploded beside Station 2 on Security Drive.

This unusual story comes by way of the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Foundation. They’ve announced this year’s honorees to be added to the state memorial on May 6, 2017. The eleven names include Captain Horton, the one legacy member this year.

Google finds a few archived stories, by way of the Statesville Record and Landmark, the Daily Times-News from Burlington, the Morning News from Wilmington, Delaware, and the Chicago Tribune. And most of those are excerpts from Newspapers.com.

Horton, 41, was killed by a dynamite bomb planted in his pick-up truck. He had finished working a night shift and was preparing to go home. He started the truck and the bomb exploded. The blast “pulverized” the truck and severed both of Horton’s legs.

Between 15 and 20 sticks of dynamite were believed to have been placed under the driver’s seat. The explosion also damaged the fire station building, next to which his truck was parked.

Motives and Connections

Horton was separated from his wife Ruth, and she didn’t know what was behind the bombing, reported the newspapers. Nor did the police have any (initial) idea about motives.

Five days later, in Lexington, NC, the private car of Davidson County Sheriff Fred Sink was bombed. His house was also damaged. City, county, state, and federal law enforcement officers looked for connections to the Statesville’s murder. They were joined by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which was investigating the bombing and murder of a County Solicitor General on August 7, 1967.

Horton’s wife was subsequently convicted of her husband’s murder. She served just seven years, we’re told. She also tried to have him killed once before, but her hired assassins skipped town. They were later brought to court, and claimed they were merely posing as hit men to get her money. And it appears they were convicted on charges of conspiracy, if we read this court case summary correctly.

Captain Horton was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Statesville.

Believe he’s only the third fallen firefighter in North Carolina killed in a homicide, after Robert Young of Winston-Salem FD (1918) and Roy Bailey of Westend FD (1989).

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Raleigh Fire Department Joins Chico’s Army to Help Raise Awareness of Cancer Dangers

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This week, the City of Raleigh Fire Department received a very special delivery: a motorized scooter that’s travelling across five states to help raise awareness of cancer dangers.

On Wednesday afternoon, Fayetteville firefighters delivered a motorized scooter to the Raleigh Fire Department training center on Keeter Center Drive. On Thursday morning, Raleigh firefighters departed for the City of Wilson, where the scooter will continue its journey. It’s been transported across five states and will be eventually be delivered to Battalion Chief David “Chico” Creasy, a fire marshal with the Richmond Fire Department.

The brotherhood of the fire service has organized around this mission, called “Chico’s Army,” to raise awareness of the occupational exposures to cancer-causing agents that firefighters face almost daily in the line of duty. Nearly one in four families has a member stricken with cancer. Chief Creasy has devoted himself to teaching others about the toxic hazards firefighters face since he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer two years ago.

The mission stems from a friendship and bond between Roger Myers Sr., of Grand Lakes Florida and the father of a Richmond firefighter, and “Chico” Creasy that developed as they each battled cancer. Myers expressed that if he lost his battle, he wanted his friend to have anything he could provide to help him continue his battle. Myers away passed on December 12, 2016. His son has carried out his wishes by organizing the largest bucket brigade ever. 

The scooter and an auto lift department from Fire Station #53 in Lake County, Florida, and are being delivered station to station, department to department, state to state, to its destination at Fire Station #3 in Chesterfield County, VA. 

For more information about the mission, and other efforts to help Chief Creasy, visit the Team Chico Facebook page. For a local contact about Raleigh’s participation in the project, see this press release.

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Raleigh Fire Department photo

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Whispering Pines Firefighter Dies Following Fire Call

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Belated posting. Whispering Pines Fire Department Lt. Donald “Reid” Key II died on December 27, two days after developing a headache, after returning to the station following a fire call. The headache worsened the following day, and his wife took him  to Moore County Regional Hospital in Pinehurst.

After an evaluation, he was airlifted to UNC-Chapel Hill Hospital. He passed away at about 1:45 p..m the following day. The nature and cause of his fatal injury are to be reported, notes this USFA notice. 

Lt. Key’s funeral was held on December 31, at New Home Baptist Church in Vass. The visitation was the night before at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines. He is survived by a wife and two children, along with his  mother and his sister, among other family members. Read his obituary. Also see this Pilot story about Lt. Key and his passing.

See the WPFD Facebook page for tributes, and information on a local fundraiser for Key’s family on January 26 in Southern Pines. 

Lt. Key is the third duty-related fatality for the department.

Probationary Firefighter Glenn Miller died on August 17, 2007, after becoming ill during training at a local community college. Robert Gamble died on October 12, 1984, from a heart attack at the scene of a structure fire. Source: Legeros Fallen Firefighters Database.

2016-01-05-wpfdSource: The Pilot

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Durham Highway Changes Unit Numbers

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On December 21, the Durham Highway Fire Department changed the unit numbers of their apparatus. They’re now using a numbering scheme that’s based on their Wake County fire station numbers:

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Durham Highway joins the following other Wake County fire departments, that also use that numbering scheme:

  • Bay Leaf – 12/120s, 25/250s, 36/360s
  • Hopkins – 22/220s
  • Knightdale – 13/130s
  • Rolesville – 15/150s
  • Stony Hill – 26/260s, 39/390s
  • Wendell – 11/110s
  • Western Wake – 19/190s, 29/290s
  • Zebulon – 9/90s

See this Carolinas Fire Page page, for a list of all Wake County fire station numbers. And here’s a Legeros Fire Blog Archives posting from 2008, where unit numbers were discussed, in the context of Wake Forest changing same. Was a topic frequently infrequently discussed on the old blog.

The numbering system originated in 1971, as a creation of the Wake County Fireman’s Association. Here’s a draft document from that period. Click to enlarge:

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Glen Lennox Fire Department in Chapel Hill

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November 18, 2019
Found some more information, from this Durham Morning Herald story, December 28, 1950: ” Glen Lennox Residents Get New Fire Truck – Chapel Hill, Dec. 27 – Residents of the Glen Lennox housing project awoke Christmas morning to the music of a fire siren and looked out of their windows to view the management’s Yuletide present to them: a fire engine.”

“The one-and-a-half-ton vehicle will be housed in the area’s business district, now under construction, when the area is completed next summer. A company of volunteer of volunteer firemen will be recruited from the 1,000-odd residents of the area to man the truck.”

“The truck was paraded around the project for several hours Christmas morning, before being put on display near the community Christmas tree. It will be kept in Durham until the ‘firehouse’ is finished.”

January 1, 2017
Here’s some more information that we’ve found. As the story goes, the fire engine was housed in a garage bay, in this building at the corner service station. When there was a fire, maintenance men at the shopping center and/or apartments would get the truck and respond. The building is still standing, and in this Google Maps photo, you can see the bricked-in bays on the side of the structure, where the fire truck was stored.

2016-12-29-glfd3Google Maps

December 29, 2016
Found a new mystery to solve. Glen Lennox Volunteer Fire Department in Chapel Hill. Protected the planned Glen Lennox community, which opened in 1950 with 314 apartment. The nearby shopping center opened in 1952, and additional apartments were added in 1953. 

The fire department operated this pictured truck, which looks like a home-built conversion with a wee water tank, a booster reel, a bed for larger hose, a couple ladders, and some small equipment.

The pictures were found on this Glen Lennox history site. No other information is (yet) provided. 

What’s the story? The department probably operated until at least 1959, which is when the Chapel Hill Fire Department opened its second station in Glen Lennox. And it was probably created as a stop-gap measure, between the time that the community opened and a fire station was built.

The town of Chapel Hill expanded its municipal limits for the first time in 1950. Between then and the time of the fire station’s opening (presumably), they annexed the Glen Lennox properties. 

Did they also install a municipal water system, including fire hydrants? Or did the Glen Lennox property owners have a private hydrant system? Good question. Either way, the larger diameter hose on the fire truck suggests that hydrants were present. 

And that’s all that’s known thus far! Including from our friends at CHFD, who were also surprised by this find. (Their members unearthed the photo, while researching the history of Station 2. The picture was included in a slideshow at the recent Station 2 open house.)

We will update this posting as new information is found. Click to enlarge:

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Photos courtesy of Grubb Properties

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Fairview Fire Starts First Responder – Carolina Rural Fireman, April 1982

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Vintage article from a publication called Carolina Rural Fireman, in April 1982. Thanks to our friend Joseph Zalkin for finding in his archives.

About the first county fire department First Responder program implemented by the Fairview Fire Department.

Other early implementations included the City of Raleigh (1977, first field use; 1980, city-wide), Raleigh-Durham Airport (1978), Morrisville (1983), Falls and Stony Hill (1985), Wake New Hope (1986), Durham Highway and Fairgrounds (1986), and the town of Cary (1989). Click to enlarge:

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Vintage Film – A Will and a Way, 1975 – The Story of the NC EMS System

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From his archives of retired Wake County EMS veteran Joseph Zalkin comes this 19-minute short film, A Will and a Way – The Story of Emergency Medical Services in North Carolina. 

Produced by the North State Office of EMS with a grant from the North Carolina Association of Insurance Agents, it describes the evolution of the state’s ambulance systems, from funeral home ambulances, to volunteer rescue squads, and finally a state EMS system.

There’s ample footage of Wendell Rescue Squad, including their old ambulances and some station and scene footage. Beacon Ambulance Service has a long bit, and there are some shots of looks like Clayton Rescue Squad. 

As for the street shots, most of those on St. Mary’s and Morgan streets, says Zalkin. The hospital location is old Rex Hospital, at St. Mary’s Street and Wade Avenue.

The film was converted some years ago from 16mm to S-VHS and later DVD. Recently re-discovered in Zalkin’s archives. Scroll down to watch. Scroll further down for more notes about this great footage. 

And, of course, for deep reading on the subject of local ambulance and rescue history, visit legeros.com/history/ems. From there, you’ll be directed to the History of EMS in Wake County Facebook page, for photos. 

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View on YouTube

Some of the familiar faces, notes Zalkin, include:

  • Bob Couick, former chief of Knightdale Area Rescue Squad and SWAB salesman. He’s featured as the driver in the opening sequence. 
  • Scott Alan, former supervisor of Wake County Animal Control, is the long-haired EMT in the back of the ambulance. 
  • Norman Dean and his wife Delores appear in the Wendell Rescue Squad sequence. He was a former State Trooper and a photographer. 
  • Dr. George Johnston from the University of North Carolina was a head of the emergency department and a surgeon.
  • Senator Jones, who was politically connected with a vision for better trauma management, introduced the legislation that formed the Office of EMS and began to regulate ambulances, training and hospital preparedness.
  • James (Jim) Page was an Los Angeles County Fire Captain, who got a law degree and was a special adviser to the Emergency! television series. He came to North Carolina to run the new Office of EMS, and brought a few folks who are still there.
  • Carl VanCott, for example, the chief of communications came from California and was an engineer on the biophone. That was the orange radio box that you saw on Emergency!

Says Zalkin about the film’s importance, North Carolina was a state that wanted the best from “Murphy to Manteo.” Other states had pockets of excellence but no statewide system.

This is more than a film, he notes, but a documentation of an early journey.

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