The town of Black Mountain had not been in existence for 20 years when the fire of Nov. 24, 1912, forever altered its landscape. Bright red flames began consuming a stable along present-day Sutton Avenue before engulfing the surrounding structures, destroying nearly every building north of the train tracks in the burgeoning town. The blaze illuminated the need for brick structures, which give the downtown historic district its distinctive look today, to supplant their wooden predecessors. The fire of 1912 also created a pressing need for a fire department to protect the town against future catastrophes, and while small fire companies emerged in the years after, a dedicated fire department was established seven years later.