Injured firefighter taken to burn center as Knightdale crews fight house fire

VIDEO: One firefighter was injured and taken to an area hospital as crews from several fire agencies worked to extinguish a house fire in Knightdale Sunday afternoon. The fire was reported just before 5 p.m. in the 600 block of Jumping Frog Lane, which is in a Knightdale neighborhood off Laurens Way near Mingo Creek. Video from a neighbor showed flames climbing up one side of the home before firefighters arrived. A firefighter was injured while fighting the blaze and was taken to the UNC Burn Clinic in Chapel Hill, according to Chris Parker, a district chief for the Knightdale Fire Department. The firefighter sustained first and second degree burns to a small area of his forearm. Officials said he was transported to the UNC Burn Center for evaluation and treatment. He was released and is at home recovering in good condition.
WNCN-TV CBS 17 Goldsboro

Woman makes quilt out of fire department t-shirts to honor fallen Lexington firefighter

VIDEO: A woman made a quilt honoring the late Lexington fire captain, Ronnie Metcalf. The quilt is made up of shirts that represent departments across Davidson County. It even includes some of the shirts Metcalf wore when on the job in Lexington. The artist who made the quilt, Cody Skeen, said it was difficult to make for a hero taken too soon. "I cried when I got it done…. it something no one wants to go through," said Skeen. Skeen's husband worked with Metcalf as a firefighter. He retired just a couple of days before Metcalf died. Skeen said her husband delivered the quilt to Metcal'fs wife, Carol. "She was, from what he said, emotional, and very grateful. She truly appreciated everything she didn’t expect it at all. It's something that's different it's not heavy on the heart," said Skeen.
WFMY-TV CBS 2 Greensboro

41 firefighters respond to Durham fire, family displaced

The Durham Fire Department responded to a fire Monday morning on Jubilee Lane. At 4:30 a.m., the Durham Fire Department was dispatched to the 2800 block of Jubilee Lane for a fire alarm, which was upgraded to a structure fire. The first arriving units reported visible flames in front of the house. The Durham Fire Department responded with 41 firefighters and the blaze was brought under control in 15 minutes. Officials said no one was hurt. One family was displaced and is being assisted by the American Red Cross. The Durham Fire Department was assisted by Durham County EMS. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
WNCN-TV CBS 17 Goldsboro

Burke County bridge named in honor of fallen firefighter

VIDEO: Family members of a fallen firefighter and transportation officials joined together on Thursday to name a bridge in the first responder's honor. The bridge on Drexel Road over I-40 in Burke County will now be known as the "Fighter Jason K Hensley Bridge." Hensley was killed while cleaning storm debris in October 2017 as a volunteer member of the Triple Community Fire Department. "There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t think about him,” Triple Community Fire Chief Joshua Smith said. “He was the definition of a true volunteer firefighter and family man." Hensley was struck and killed by a drunk driver on U.S. 70 on Oct. 8, 2017. He had only been with the department for half a year but had already logged over 200 hours of training, according to a release.
WCNC-TV NBC 36 Charlotte

Man dies after driving into unoccupied home in east Charlotte

A man died after he drove into an unoccupied home in east Charlotte Wednesday evening. According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the crash happened around 5:45 p.m. on The Plaza near Wilann Drive. When officers arrived, they saw a Chevrolet Silverado had hit an unoccupied home. Officers found a man unresponsive in the driver’s seat. Charlotte firefighters and MEDIC responded to the crash. Paramedics took the driver, Mark Carden, 58, to the hospital where he died. A preliminary investigation shows that Carden was driving east on The Plaza when his truck veered off the right side of the road, hit a guide wire, sideswiped a tree and continued on hitting the front of the home.
WBTV CBS 3 Charlotte

Shallotte firefighter runs Boston Marathon, raises $11k for charity

PHOTOS: A Shallotte firefighter recently ran and completed the 128th Boston Marathon on April 15, an impressive accomplishment in and of itself. In doing so, he also raised $11,000 to support his fellow firefighters and the firefighting profession. John Cruikshank, a Boston-area native, moved to Brunswick County and joined the Shallotte Fire/Rescue Department in 2021. In Massachusetts, he ran his own electrical company, which he moved with him when the family relocated to Brunswick County. “My brother already lived here, so we came down to see him on vacation a bunch of times,” he said, noting they loved the slower pace here compared to the city. Cruikshank said being a firefighter has always been a goal for him, but he was unable to do some back home in Massachusetts due to the competitive nature of getting on at a department.
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