An ongoing dispute between neighboring fire department jurisdictions in northern Beaufort County could mean that, beginning Friday, the closest firefighters won’t always respond first to an emergency.
Leaders of the Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department and Burton Fire District say their departments are equipped to keep residents adequately safe despite the latest escalation in the spat.
The municipalities and Burton Fire District have been at odds for more than 20 years over agreements for service and compensation for properties the municipalities have annexed in the Burton area, an unincorporated community in northern Beaufort County. Under multiple agreements since, Beaufort and Port Royal have each paid Burton Fire District an annual fee for covering the properties now in city or town limits, based on established formulas.