While wood heat is a fantastic source of heat, it can also be very dangerous if certain precautions are not taken, the most important of which is to make sure your chimney's are cleaned out with a chimney sweep. During the combustion process of a fire, the smoke you see is a product of incomplete combustion. Essentially, pieces of the material burning are escaping before the combustion process can fully burn them away. Within this incomplete combustion is a byproduct known as creosote. This creosote can clog up the flue, which is what causes a chimney fire.

The first big fire after warm weather ends is usually the most dangerous. The residual creosote that has been built up since the last time the chimney was cleaned can be ignited from the heat and embers traveling up the flue, causing the chimney fire. 

It's also important to avoid the flue tiles getting what's known as thermal shock, a process that occurs when the inside of the flue heats up much faster than the outside of the flue, cracking the flue tiles which can let the heat and embers escape into the walls causing a structure fire. When starting your fires this year, it's important to start them slowly and let the fire and heat build naturally rather than using an artificial accelerant to increase the heat and growth of the fire.

Also, it's important to note that Daylight Saving Time ends on November 1st at 2:00am, which means it's time to check and replace the batteries in your smoke detectors. We cannot stress enough how important it is to have a smoke detector in every bedroom in the house, all major living areas and in the hallways between rooms. Quick alert of a fire can and will save your life and the lives of your family. If you need help checking the smoke detectors or for more information about smoke detectors, contact your local fire department. 

And one final piece of advice, while we do not encourage anyone to attempt to fight an out of control fire on their own, or even a small fire without proper training, home personal fire extinguishers are available for purchase at most major retailers and parts stores. These can be used as an escape tool to allow you and your family to escape the fire if needed, or for controlling a small fire before it gets out of control. To receive more information or to request training on fire extinguisher operation, contact your local fire department. 

Pictured is Chief Tony Laws (left) and Frank Conklin (right), President of Key Largo Volunteer Fire & Rescue.

Letter presented with plaque to Chief Laws and the rest of South Toe Volunteer Fire & Rescue. 

The owner of the house, Spencer Elliott, was not at home when the blaze started. Neighbors heard an explosion, saw the flames coming from the house and alerted emergency officials. There were no reported injuries.

Elliott’s brother, Larry Elliott, lives next door and heard the explosion around 6:45 a.m.

“Flames were rolling out of the front porch and the power line was on fire,” said Larry.

Piercy stated the flames were intense and had engulfed the house when firefighters arrived. He added about 30 firefighters from several stations were on the scene.

“There was a live power line on fire which limited us, but we pulled water from the creek at Locust Cove,” Piercy told The McDowell News. “South Toe (Fire Department) was called out to help, and they were able to set up in the ponds and the majority of the water came from there.”

Larry said that Spencer lived alone in the four-bedroom house and that all of his valuables were damaged.

“We’ve just had a bad year, and if it weren’t for neighbors, friends and family we wouldn’t be standing here in front of a burnt house. At least I can still go hug my brother,” Larry said Wednesday.

Emergency Management Director Terry Young said the cause has yet to be determined.

Marion, Old Fort, P.G., Woodlawn and South Toe fire departments were initially called to the fire on Buck Creek Road. Manpower from Hankins-North Fork, Nebo, Glenwood, Crooked Creek and Buncombe County fire departments also assisted. McDowell Rescue Squad and McDowell EMS also responded.

While we do have several water points set up, we are always looking for more. These water points are invaluable on a fire scene. It takes time to haul water from one point to the scene of an incident, and the closer we can be to a water point, the more likely we are to save the house and property during the incident. If you have a pond or stream nearby that you would like to grant us access to for Emergency Operations, please print out the attached form and mail it to 65 Roaring Spout Ln, Burnsville NC, 28714, or email it along with any questions you may have to Dustin Hughes. 

If you are unsure about your proposed water point, we would be happy to come by and talk with you about it, along with the benefits of the water point to not only the Fire Department, but also yourself and the citizens of South Toe Fire District. 

Click here to download the form!

With Fire Prevention week approaching, and fall in full swing now with winter on the horizon, it's time for some helpful tips and hints about Fire Safety. There are time tested ways to survive and prevent a fire. It's not a matter of

Every Home Should Have at Least One Working Smoke Alarm
Buy a smoke alarm at any hardware or discount store. It's inexpensive protection for you and your family. Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home. A working smoke alarm can double your chances of survival. Test it monthly, keep it free of dust and replace the battery at least once a year. Smoke alarms themselves should be replaced after ten years of service, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

Prevent Electrical Fires

It is built on a 7600 series International with a 475 h.p. MaxxForce 13 diesel engine.  It has an Allison 4000 EVS transmission and an 18,000 front axle and 30,000 rear axle.  It has a driver controlled wheel differential lock.  It has dual remote control and heated mirrors and an adjustable telescoping tilt steering wheel.  On-Spot snow chains are included.  Also included is a Kussmaul 1000 charging system with auto eject.  It is dressed out with polished aluminum wheels with Real Wheels stainless steel wheel trim kits.
 
The pump is a Hale QMax XS 1500 g.p.m. single stage, side control panel, with a mechanical seal.  It has two Hale anodes installed in the pump.  It has two Hale manual MIV’s in the 6” left and right suctions.   All valves are Akron 8000 heavy duty valves with a 10 year warranty. It has three 1 ½” discharges with 2” plumbing, two speedlays and one trash line in the right side running board.  It has two left side 2 ½” pump panel discharges. It has one 2 ½” and one Akron electric 4” x 5” Storz discharge on the right pump panel.  It has two rear discharges, one 3” with a 4” Storz adapter and a 2 ½”.  It is equipped with a 3" pre-piped water way with an Akron 3440 Electronic Deck Master remote controlled deck gun with a 12” electric extension.  This is controlled with an Akron electric valve with a flow meter.  This pumper includes a Hypro Foam Pro 1600 Class A foam system.  All gauges are backlit and color coded.  The pump panel includes a compartment for a radio head and microphone.
 
The water tank is an 1875 gallon UPF poly tank with 20 gallon Class A foam cell.  It has an electric rear Newton 10” stainless steel dump valve with a stainless steel extension.  It is equipped with an air operated 1 ½” jet assist controlled from the cab.  It also has two 10” Newton side dumps with 18” stainless steel extensions with painted stainless steel covers. It has a 3" rear tank fill and a 5” rear tank fill with a TFT Storz ball valve fill.  It has an 8” vent/overflow.  It has water level gauges on both right and left pump panels, and the rear of the truck and a mini gauge in the cab.
 
The body is all 12 gauge 304 grade stainless steel and has 4 Guys famous 30 year warranty.  It has seven compartments, including two full height left side compartments, two high side compartments, one lower rear compartment and two right low side compartments.  The ladders are stored in the hose bed.  It carries three hard suction hose and pike poles, two are all stored in the body compartments and one over the dump tank. Included is a pull out tray and two adjustable shelves.  It also has four double spare SCBA bottle compartments to carry eight spare bottles.  The 2100 gallon Fol-Da-Tank is carried in a Zico PTS-HA portable hydraulic storage system with a painted stainless steel covered rack on the right side.
 
A Harrison 6 KW hydraulic generator is mounted in the dunnage area on the right.  It has six Fire Research Spectra LED lights in the body, two on each side and two in the rear.  It also has two Fire Research Spectra LED lights on telescoping poles, one at each pump panel.  The one on the right is on a removable tripod.  The one on the left is 12 volt.  There is one Hannay electric cable reel with electric rewind and 200’ of 10/3 cable and a four outlet junction box.  All the emergency red lights are Whelen LED's.  All emergency and tail lights are M series.  It has a Federal Q2B flush mounted siren in a custom front bumper extension.
 
Due to their station door height and inside length requirements, this apparatus had to be custom designed. It is 28’ – 7” long and 116” high.  This is truly a custom built truck on a commercial chassis.  The DuPont Imron 6000 paint carries a 10 year warranty.   It was sold by Doug Callan, Cove Creek Fire Trucks, Greeneville, TN.

This new certification consists of 32 hours of training time. 8 of those hours are conducted in the classroom, while the rest of the 24 hours is used for practicals and skills development (8 hours are conducted in a pool, while 16 hours are conducted at the lake). 

Members obtaining this certification will have the opportunity to further the education even further, taking specialized technical diving classes. South Toe plans to continue to offer these classes so that at least 8 members will be classified as "Rescue Divers", a certification that may only be attempted after each member is classified as a Advanced Open Water Diver. (To become an AOWD, you must have a minimum of 4 technical certifications, as well as 25 logged and recorded dives).

Currently, the pool dive is scheduled for August 19th and 20th at Toe River Campground located on Blue Rock Rd. The Lake dive will be held at Lake Jocassee, in Salem SC. The course is being taught by Asheville Scuba.   

Our call volume continues to grow each year. We are responsible for fighting fires, handling medical emergencies, responding to car accidents, performing search and rescue, as well as keeping our members well trained, maintaining our equipment, and assisting with community events. The commitment and dedication of our members has never been greater in the department’s 41-year history and we greatly appreciate your charitable spirit throughout the year to maintain our level of professional service provided to you.

We are seeking all sponsors to benefit South Toe Volunteer Fire & Rescue. Please complete the below form and mail to address listed below.

To our new neighbors, we would like to cordially welcome you to our community. Please help us maintain one of the best volunteer departments in the county. To our old friends, thank you for your unwavering support year after year.

To those individuals who contribute $1000.00 or more, a permanent plaque in your honor will be displayed at the fire department to show our appreciation for your donation.

Sincerely,
Your South Toe Fire & Rescue Volunteers

Please take the time to mail your tax-deductible donation today.
Click here for the Donation Form

The 6 rating is an improvement over the previous rating of 9S. The NCRRS rating system ranges from one (highest) to 10 (not recognized as a certified fire department by the state), with most rural departments falling into the 9S category. While lower ratings do not necessarily indicate poor service, a higher rating does suggest that a department is overall better equipped to respond to fires in its district. Higher ratings can also significantly lower homeowners insurance rates in that fire district.

“I’d like to congratulate Chief Laws for his department’s performance and for the hard work of all the department members,” said Commissioner Goodwin. “The citizens of South Toe Fire District should rest easy knowing they have a fine group of firefighters protecting them and their property in case of an emergency.”

State law requires OSFM officials to inspect departments serving districts of 100,000 people or less, which makes up all but six of the state’s fire districts.

“This is a huge accomplishment for our all-volunteer Fire & Rescue Department,” said Assistant Chief Josh Blevins. “Only 30% of the fire departments in the entire state of North Carolina have obtained this classification and to obtain this with no pressurized hydrants makes it twice as difficult to achieve. We are proud to be able to obtain the lowest rating possible for residential structures,” stated Blevins.

The South Toe Board of Directors set the request for inspection as a five year goal but due to the hard work and dedication of the Board, the entire department, ISO committee and staff, the request was made two years early.

“It turned out to be a late Christmas present for tax payers of the South Toe Township. The rating does not help the department but it does benefit the tax payers that the department protects and serves,” said Assistant Chief Charlie Autrey. It was worth the wait because now not only the volunteers of the department, but everyone within the district will be able to benefit from improved response, new equipment, additional water points, extremely trained members, and also financially in these tough economic times in which we are living.

“We have had some of our local volunteers and board members who have contacted their insurance providers and were informed that they will see a $200 to $250 dollar annual savings,” said Assistant Chief Autrey.

No one will really know how much money this new rating will save tax payers within the fire district. If there are approximately 1000 homes in the district and each home owner saved $200 per year then the fire department will save tax payers nearly $200,000 per year across the South Toe District. The ratings are good for five years so this inspection should save over $1 million in insurance premiums in the South Toe District alone.

One local insurance agent stated, “This will be a huge savings for the community in South Toe on their home insurance premiums. The people of South Toe should make their insurance carrier aware of the change and discount and ask the carrier to calculate the savings. Going from a class 9 to a class 6 is a substantial savings. Congratulations to the South Toe Fire Department on the accomplishment, which is the result of a lot of hard work.”

Equipment added by the department to make the inspection successful include various types of extrication equipment including a new “jaws of life” positioned in the District, additional water points to decrease travel time, LDH (Large Diameter Hose) on both first due engines to handle high fire flows throughout the Fire District, and various hand tools and safety equipment. “What is more remarkable is that almost every piece of equipment purchased in preparation for the inspection was awarded to the department through various State and Federal Grants,” said Treasurer Gary Shuford.

Not only did the department achieve the class 6 rating, but barely missed a class 5 rating by a few minor points. “At this time we are in the process of requesting a debriefing from the Office of the State Fire Marshal concerning the recent rating to determine how South Toe can improve on our current score,” said Chief Tony Laws. “We know that the next couple of points will not be easy and the South Toe ISO committee will need to work even harder over the next ten years. We also learned what weak points the department/county need to work on, such as training equipment and props, communications and an additional tanker at station # 1.”

South Toe Fire and Rescue is committed to keeping the community safe. They have accomplished this by providing professional fire service, reliable fire apparatus and equipment, ample water supplies and good communications. The fire department will continue to refine its emergency response capability with the long-term goal of continuing to move toward achieving a lower classification. Board of Director Chairman Gary Murphy said “We are obviously very pleased with the grading. Knowing that over 99% of the area that we serve will be able to receive a Fire Protection Class 6 is fantastic! We have a lot of very dedicated volunteers within our organization who have made this possible.”

The department has assembled a planning committee to assemble flyers and a brochure to be mailed to every resident within the district. The brochure will include contact information for individuals wishing to submit an application to the agency, department response statistics and additional information for the upcoming 2010 fundraiser and open house.

South Toe, again, would like to thank Newdale Fire Department, Burnsville Fire Department and Parkway Fire & Rescue of Mitchell County. Chief Laws also would like to thank the Yancey County Firefighters Association assisting with county-wide standardized procedures and support.