Â鶹´«Ã½ Department of Public Safety officers and fire personnel will conduct two live burn trainings in April.
On Tuesday, April 8, a building at 1204 E. Union St., Morganton, will be burned for training. East Union Street will remain open, but Burke Drive from East Union Street to Harry Street will be closed, according to information from the city of Â鶹´«Ã½.
Another burn training will be held April 15 at 1208 E. Union St. The road closures will be the same, according to the city.
The training will start at 8 a.m. and end by 6 p.m. both days.
Firefighters talk as flames engulf part of the building at Quaker Meadows Golf Course during a 2021 live burn training.
Chrissy Murphy, The News Herald
The owner of the properties offered both buildings to the department to be burned as a training exercise.
“This is a realistic training that helps to enhance skill sets of our firefighters in a real-world setting,†said Israel Gibson, fire division chief. “While being realistic, it also has to be safe. We want this training to be valuable, and to be valuable it has to be safe.â€
Smoke will be visible in the area. About 40 firefighters will be at each training. They’ll be studying fire behavior, ventilation techniques, search and rescue techniques and suppression techniques.
“I think in preparing our firefighters today, there is no better scenario than getting an acquired structure,†Gibson said. “The realism it provides is vital in training and preparing our firefighters to help our community when they are in need.â€
Anyone with questions or concerns can call Â鶹´«Ã½ Public Safety at 828-437-1211.
Chrissy Murphy is a staff writer and can be reached at cmurphy@morganton.com or at 828-432-8941.
