Greene County crews battle fires at barn, Maury home

Fires in Greene County wreaked severe damage recently and caused minor injuries as crews worked to douse them.

At least two major structure fires were reported in the county since Aug. 14, when about 8:53 p.m. crews from seven local departments were called to a commercial hay barn on N.C. 58 North.

The Bull Head Fire Department out of Stantonsburg responded initially. Crews from the Snow Hill Rural Fire Department said they arrived to a "fully involved fire" but were able to establish water supply and an aerial assist to battle the blaze.

Brock Kearney, director of Greene County Emergency Management, said that seven departments in total responded to the fire and that personnel remained at the barn for 36 hours to extinguish and monitor conditions as the fire continued to burn.

One person received medical care on the scene, Kearney said, and Snow Hill Rural Fire Department said that a civilian with minor injuries was transported by emergency medical personnel.

Bull Head VFD is the investigating agency in the barn fire.

Over the weekend, about 3:52 p.m. on Aug. 17, Maury Volunteer Fire and Rescue responded to a single story residence on fire at 166 Half Moon Road, northeast of the town off of N.C. 903. The home was unoccupied, the department said.

Kearney said that four departments were dispatched to the call and that the residence suffered extensive damage throughout.

Crews used a tanker-shuttle water supply to get the blaze under control in about two hours. Crews from Maury were aided by departments from Hookerton and Castoria as well as Greene County EMS. A firefighter was transported to ECU Health with heat exhaustion and released after treatment.

That fire is under investigation by Greene County Emergency Services and the Greene County Sheriff's Office.

More recently, Maury personnel fought a Sunday vehicle fire about 3:54 p.m. near 4431 N.C. 903 North, northeast of the town. A vehicle had pulled off the roadway with a fire under its engine compartment, the department said.

Occupants were secured away from the vehicle and personnel rapidly put out the fire, the department said.

The engine fire ignited dry grass on the side of the highway which was extinguished without any visible damage to the vehicle. No injuries were reported and the owner of the vehicle was able to drive it from the scene.