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Story and photos by Bob Bartosz
On March 10, 2017, Nash County (NC) 911 Center received calls for a large brush fire near an Industry Park. The fire was spreading quickly because of high wind conditions. Station 4 West Mount, Station 14 Nashville, and Station 12 Red Oak were dispatched to the 1715 Stanley Park Drive in the Rocky Mount section of Nash County. This was a border line fire–one side of the fire was in the City of Rocky Mount and the other side was Nash County side.
Rocky Mount City was receiving calls for the same fire. They were told that the fire had extended into a large, 10,000-square-foot warehouse where wooden pallets were made. The first-arriving units from West Mount reported to County Radio that they had a large pallet factory building that was heavily involved. Rocky Mount was now dispatching Station 3, 6, 2, 4, and Ladder 30, Rescue 2, and Battalion 2. While en route, the units were notified that the fire had spread into the pallet company building.
West Mount Fire Department firefighters were already on the scene, beginning fire suppression activity. Rocky Mount Engine Co. 3 reported that the commercial building was 100-percent involved, that they were establishing a 5-inch water supply line, and deploying a 2 1/2-inch attack line to the B side.
All companies were going into a defensive attack because all the walls were showing loss of structural integrity.
Engine Co. 6 was now arriving and also was laying a 5-inch line from the hydrant. Ladder 30 was arriving and going in service with their aerial. It was almost an hour and a half before the fire was placed under control after being attacked with water lines from all four sides.
Nash County EMS was on location and no injuries were reported.
Members of the Rocky Mount Fire Investigation Team were conducting interviews to determine the cause of the fire. It was determined that the fire may have originated inside the building; the large bay doors on both ends of the building were open and the fire may have started in a pile of wood dust. The strong wind currents had a role in the quick spread the fire though out the building and to the out side setting the grass and pallets on fire.
