YOUNGSVILLE, N.C. — During the South Park fire in Charlotte last week many firefighters showed up to bravely fight the flames. But those stories can spark memories for other firefighters who have experienced similar calls in the past.
A.C. Rich has seen many fires through the years as a firefighter and battalion chief.
“Firefighters have to be very prepared to adapt,” Rich said. “And that adaptability, I think, is at the heart and soul of every firefighter.”“Firefighters have to be very prepared to adapt,” Rich said. “And that adaptability, I think, is at the heart and soul of every firefighter.”
He says one of the biggest things he’s learned is that you never know what to expect from the many different calls a fire department receives.
“We always have to be prepared for the worst,” Rich said. “And we always have to be aware of what may come from what we see when we arrive.”
That’s what happened to Rich when a call came in on March 16, 2017. He says he had never seen a fire that big. Rich was the Raleigh battalion chief at the time and part of the initial response team.
“A critical piece of the Metropolitan fire was, you know, keeping all of the responders safe,” Rich said. “But also keeping that particular fire from burning up more than what it had already consumed.”
The fire began at the empty unfinished Metropolitan apartment complex that didn’t have fire protection systems installed yet. Although that contributed to the rapid flames, Rich says the firefighters were ultimately able to overcome the spreading fire. He says those memories resurfaced after seeing the inferno that broke out in Charlotte last week.
“When I first became aware of it,” Rich said. “My first thought was for the firefighters themselves and just praying that they would be safe.”
Rich says he understands what the Charlotte fire department went through, as both were in apartment complexes that were under construction, and both were fast burning, five-alarm fires. But he says the Charlotte fire had an added layer of crisis because of the fatalities and active rescue situations.
“With everyone that's there on the scene having the mentality that we're not going to let this beat us, you know, we're going to do what we need to do, even at a relatively large risk to ourselves,” Rich said. “And that's what firefighters do. That's what we're here for. And we take a lot of pride in doing that. So much respect for all firefighters, especially the Charlotte fire department. And they did a outstanding job.”
Rich says after the Raleigh fire in 2017, there was a big evaluation of how they responded to the fire as well as fire codes and code enforcements. Although there were only minor changes after the evaluation, he says the information is always helpful for future calls. Rich is now the battalion chief at the Youngsville Fire Department.
