Wilson County News - Top Stories - Fire sparks end to fireworks safe zone in China Grove

Wilson County News
January 9, 2008 | 3 comments

CHINA GROVE -- For more than a decade, the Alamo Fireworks store located off U.S. 87 has provided a fireworks safe zone behind its store on New Year�s Eve and the Fourth of July.

But after a Dec. 31 fire that burned nearly 500 acres and endangered homes and businesses, Alamo�s President Michael Girdley said his company would no longer host a safe zone.

�We are not going to do it here anymore,� Girdley said. �Mayor [Dennis] Dunk and several members of city council came to us saying they didn�t want the safe zone.�

Girdley said his company has had a longstanding relationship with the city and the China Grove Volunteer Fire Department, which it hires to monitor the safe zone in case of a fire. But at approximately 10 p.m. New Year�s Eve, the firefighters left to answer a mutual-aid call for a fire in Converse. Less than one hour later, the fire broke out.

According to Girdley, firefighters had conducted a controlled burn of a 6- to 8-acre area of Alamo�s property prior to Dec. 31.

�The strong wind is believed to have carried an ember into an unburned area,� said China Grove Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Winfield.

Dunk, who was at home when the fire began, said, �I saw a red glow in the sky and I saw aerial fireworks still in progress.�

After quickly assessing the situation in the residential area nearby, he went to the site, where he said 150 to 200 people were in the area while the fire was raging.

�There were active fires in the west side of the safe zone, moving toward a gray, brick house,� Dunk said. �I asked who was in charge, and when I found out, I asked him to have the people leave the area.�

Because of the dry, windy weather, several similar fires were reported that evening, which stretched the resources of fire departments throughout the region. Dunk said firefighters from Windcrest and Schertz were not able to arrive at the scene until 30 minutes after the fire started. They remained on the scene until after 3 a.m.

For at least 13 years, Girdley said, the store has hosted the safe zone as a service to the community, providing area residents a safe, controlled environment in which to use their fireworks.

Not only is the location home to an Alamo Fireworks Megastore and stands, it is also the company�s corporate headquarters. But according to Dunk, the 35-acre property is not located within the city limits of China Grove.

�The city of China Grove surrounds the property 360 degrees,� Dunk said. �But it actually falls within our ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction).�

Since the nature of Alamo�s business involves the sale of fireworks, which is illegal within China Grove�s city limits, it was never in the city�s best interest to annex the property, Dunk said.

Girdley said he and other company officials have contacted those affected by the fire and submitted claims with their insurance company to cover any damage.

Dunk praised Girdley for his cooperation with city officials and residents after the recent fire.

�Mr. Girdley has been very gracious to want to relocate the safe zone,� Dunk said. �He has been very concerned about what happened, and has been exercising the good-neighbor policy. He wants to be a good neighbor toward the city of China Grove.�

For more than 20 years, China Grove Councilman Linda Gillespie said she and her family have lived in a home near the safe zone. Since Alamo moved to the area, Gillespie has been scared of the safe zone and has been working since April to bring about its closure.

�That safe zone has always been an accident waiting to happen,� Gillespie said.

She said the safe zone has also been a problem along U.S. 87 because of spectators stopping their vehicles in and along the roadway to watch the fireworks display.

�Then you have people parking on the side of the road and sitting in the backs of their pick-up trucks,� Gillespie said. �Or you have people opening their doors and letting their kids out into the middle of the road so they can run up to get a closer look.�

Gillespie said she and her husband were out of town during the fire, but had returned in the late afternoon on Jan. 1 to find their house full of smoke.

�We thought our house was on fire,� Gillespie said. �We began to frantically look around to find out what was burning. Then the mayor called and asked if I had looked at my back yard.�

When Gillespie looked, she discovered most of it was charred from the fire. The yard of her next-door neighbor, Mac Morris, was no better.

�It had burned some of his outbuildings and his fence,� Gillespie said. �The fire had gotten close to one of his bakeries and his house.�

Winfield said no houses were burned and no one was hurt, but acknowledged the situation could have been much worse.

�I truly believe now it was an eye-opener for people,� Winfield said. �As growth happens, so do other problems.�

wgibbs@wcn-online.com

Your Opinions and Comments

bill johnsons sa June 5, 2008 6:07am	Report Abuse Mick Girdley doe not care. I ran one for him last year and he told me screw the Fire Dept. It's all a show. All Alamo Fireworks cares about is Profit. Terrible Company ... Read More Mick Girdley doe not care. I ran one for him last year and he told me screw the Fire Dept. It's all a show. All Alamo Fireworks cares about is Profit. Terrible Company to do business with.

Will
January 14, 2008 12:10am

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I was present when the fire ignited that night ... there were no fire crews from any city there in 30 minutes of the fire starting . i dont recall any showing up for atleast ... Read More

Fireworks Hater
January 10, 2008 9:07pm

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"SAFE" Zone? Now that�s a joke! This place is the LAST place I�d go, if I wanted to shoot off fireworks. With everyone zapping rockets in every direction, chances are ... Read More

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