By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
More than 100 firefighters from 14 Rowan and Davidson County departments battled fires spread along miles of railroad tracks Sunday afternoon.
Norfolk Southern stopped all traffic on its tracks through the county as firefighters spread lines across the tracks and operated fire equipment on or adjacent to the tracks.
Rowan EMS crews treated two firefighters battling the fires north of Spencer for heat exhaustion. One was transported out of the woods on an ATV.
Late Sunday, the N.C. Forest Service brought in a bulldozer to cut a clear path around the areas, but firefighters continued to monitor the situation.
Fire department officials described the series of fires as the worst in several years.
A train coming through Spencer around 1 p.m. and heading west toward Statesville left a trail of blazes spread three to four miles north of Spencer around U.S. 29.
Another fire broke out along Statesville Boulevard between Hurley School Road and Majolica Road. The fire covered an estimated three acres before it was brought under control.
Several houses were in the path of the Statesville Boulevard fire, but firefighters were able to stop the advancing flames.
John Thomason, chief of the Franklin Fire Department, said the N.C. Forest Service estimated houses valued at $250,000 were at risk, but none were damaged.
An empty outbuilding and abandoned house did burn partially.
Around 50 firefighters used logging roads and any path they could find to get to the fire, which spread through the dry brush and undergrowth.
The fire skipped along the track and the adjacent woods, pushed by the winds.
Crews and equipment from Locke, Rockwell, Cleveland, Woodleaf, Liberty and Jerusalem departments assisted Franklin.
While the Statesville Boulevard fire was contained in one area, Miller’s Ferry and six other departments dealt with seven or more fires, with three covering more than five acres each.
Some houses were in danger. “We had several it was headed toward, but we were able to get it under control pretty quick,” Bobby Fox, Miller’s Ferry chief, said.
Crews pulled lines across the tracks and pulled hoses off of every truck in sight to put together lines that reached 1,000 feet into the woods.
Fox said Norfolk Southern was very helpful, stopping all train traffic for a couple of hours.
Along with the brush and woodlands, firefighters had to deal with piles of old creosote-soaked crossties.
“There were numerous crossties; that was one of the biggest problems,” Fox said.
Spencer, Union, East Spencer, Ellis, Churchland and Linwood assisted Miller’s Ferry with firefighters and equipment. The Rowan Rescue Squad also assisted.
All crews were released from both fires by around 6 p.m., but Miller’s Ferry was called back to the U.S. 29 area around 7 p.m. when flames erupted.
Rainstorms forecast for the area overnight were expected to douse any remaining embers.
You may contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254.