A mayday was called during a Rowan County-area house fire that injured three firefighters, while a fire engine was heavily damaged in a separate highway crash hours later

By Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Three firefighters were hurt, and a fire engine was heavily damaged during a “challenging” 24-hour period for first responders in North Carolina’s Rowan County.

The firefighters were hurt while battling a fire Tuesday that destroyed a home in the West Rowan area, Rowan County Emergency Services said in a Sept 2 Facebook post.

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“Multiple agencies responded, including departments from outside their districts and mutual aid partners from beyond Rowan County,” the agency wrote.

“Three firefighters were injured and transported for evaluation from separate aspects of the fire. Thankfully, none sustained life-threatening injuries. One of those firefighters was a mutual aid firefighter from another agency who had come to help protect our community.”

Identities of the firefighters and details of their injuries have not been released.

The second incident happened around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, when a China Grove Fire engine was involved in a crash on Interstate 85 while assisted the Bostian Heights Fire Department, officials said.

A car ran into the back of the fire engine, causing “significant damage,” officials said. No firefighters were hurt.

“The engine had been strategically positioned as a protective barrier, and it did exactly what it was intended to do — shield and protect the people working ahead of it,” Rowan County Emergency Services reported.

China Grove is about a 35-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.

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