Pensacola Volunteer Fire Department - NC

05/03/2026

Burn Ban to be lifted tomorrow Sunday May 3rd at 8:00 am

04/27/2026

Burn ban remains in effect. We still need some more rain and time for things to green up. Even with predicted rain in the forecast it will likely not be enough.

The statewide burn ban remains in effect until further notice despite weekend rain in some areas. Persistent dry weather and increasing rainfall deficits from the last several months have left most of the state needing 10 inches of rain or more.

“While the rainfall we received over the weekend was a welcome sight, it offered little to no relief from widespread drought conditions while being nowhere near enough to reduce our wildfire risk,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Even the areas that received the heaviest amount of rain will quickly dry out from the sunshine and warmer temperatures. Until we get some additional rain and see more green-up in our forests, holding the burn ban in place statewide is the best option right now.”

While green-up and leaf-out are progressing at normal rate, low soil moisture, dry surface fuels and persistent low humidity are contributing to wildfire activity. For Western North Carolina, excessive forest fuels from Hurricane Helene are more available now than they were in 2025, low water levels in coastal areas have helped produce intense fire behavior where ground fire will likely be a long-term issue, and the Piedmont experienced 87 new wildfire starts over the weekend alone. Extended attack and mop-up efforts will be taxing and long-winded until drought conditions improve.

Read news release: https://bit.ly/497dNht

04/06/2026

Just a reminder that the state wide burn ban is still in effect. No open burning allowed.
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03/28/2026

Burn ban in effect at 6PM today until further notice no open burning is permitted.

Due to increased wildfire risk, the N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits statewide effective 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28 until further notice.

Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was previously issued. The issuance of any new permits has also been suspended until the ban is lifted. Anyone violating the burn ban faces a $100 fine plus $183 court costs. Any person responsible for setting a fire may be liable for any expenses related to extinguishing the fire.

The burn ban does not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. The local fire marshal has authority to issue a burn ban within those 100 feet.

Read news release: https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2026/03/28/statewide-burn-ban-issued-north-carolina-due-hazardous-forest-fire-conditions

03/22/2026

Please use caution the next few days with any open burning.

02/23/2026

Earlier today, our department was dispatched to a reported structure fire on CRC Road.

Personnel arrived on scene quickly and discovered a bedroom fire involving a room and its contents. Crews made an aggressive initial attack and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to other areas of the home.

Incidents like this serve as an important reminder of the value of a well-trained volunteer fire department within our community. Our members remain dedicated to providing the highest level of fire protection possible and are proud to serve the citizens of our district.

We would like to thank Burnsville Fire Department for responding and assisting with overhaul operations, as well as Newdale Fire Department, Clearmont Fire Department, and West Yancey Fire Department for providing standby coverage. We also appreciate Heritage EMS for standing by on scene should medical care have been needed.

Thank you to all agencies for your teamwork and continued commitment to public safety.

12/19/2025

We were saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Greg Biffle and his family yesterday. Greg was an instrumental part of the disaster response in Pensacola in the days following Helene. He flew missions into the Cattail region of our district himself and then helped us more broadly through his social media exposure, which inspired other privately owned helicopters to come to our rescue. In March, he returned to Pensacola to check on our progress and to meet some of our volunteers and citizens under better circumstances. Our prayers are with his family and friends.

11/19/2025

🔥 Burn Ban in Effect for Yancey County 🔥

Due to extremely dry conditions, the Yancey County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management have issued a burn ban.

🚫No open burning is allowed within 100 feet of any structure. This includes brush, leaves, and any outdoor fires.
We urge all community members to avoid burning at this time to help prevent wildfires and keep our county safe.

For updates and safety tips, follow Yancey County Emergency Management.

Thank you for doing your part to protect our community!


🔥 Prohibición de Quemas en Vigor para el Condado de Yancey 🔥

Debido a condiciones extremadamente secas, el Bombero y Manejo de Emergencias del Condado de Yancey han establecido una prohibición de quemas.

🚫No se permite ninguna quema al aire libre dentro de 100 pies de cualquier estructura.
Esto incluye ramas, hojas y cualquier fuego exterior.
Pedimos a todos los miembros de la comunidad que eviten quemar en este momento para prevenir incendios y mantener nuestro condado seguro.
Para actualizaciones y consejos de seguridad, siga a Manejo de Emergencias del Condado de Yancey.

¡Gracias por hacer su parte para proteger nuestra comunidad!

11/15/2025

New truck that was purchased with grant funds that where allotted for equipment to help make us more resilient after so many of our roads and bridges where affected. This truck takes the place of a full size engine without all the weight. It will serve multiple roles including motor vehicle incidents and brush fires along with structure fires. Our members must under go hours of pump and driving training on each apparatus before they are allowed to operate them. So even though we’ve had this a few months we are now able to put it into service after training was completed.

09/27/2025

Congratulations to one of our own Noah Pauley for winning overall and the turnout gear portions of today’s firefighters challenge.

🔥 Congratulations to Our Firefighter Challenge Winners! 🔥

Thank you to all the firefighters who participated in today’s challenge in Burnsville, NC. Your dedication and hard work are truly appreciated.

🏆 1st Place Overall & Turnout Gear Race:
Noah Polley – Station 17

🥈 2nd Place:
Steven Profitt – Station 11

🥉 3rd Place:
Griffin Ray – Station 11

👏 We appreciate everyone who joined and supported this event. Your commitment to excellence helps keep our communities safe every day.