# Winston-Salem Fire Department

The Winston-Salem Fire Department (WSFD) provides fire protection to the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In all the department is responsible for an area of 133 square miles (340 km$^2$). The history of the WSFD dates back to 1913 when the cities of Winston and Salem merged to form the city of Winston-Salem and gave birth to the Winston-Salem Fire Department.

## History

The earliest precursor to the Winston-Salem Fire Department was the Salem Fire Department, created after the construction of the Salem Church. In 1782, the fire inspection service was created to ensure that chimneys were properly being swept. If an infraction was found, the fire inspector could issue fines of up to $1 per day until the owner fixed the issue.
In 1951, the Winston-Salem Fire Department became the first integrated department in North Carolina. Eight total firefighters were hired to integrate the department. By 1967, the department was fully integrated.

## Incidents

On January 31, 2022, Weaver Fertilizer Plant caught fire in North Winston-Salem, prompting a major response from the department. Chief Mayo said that hundreds of personnel were involved in fighting the fire, and over 4 million gallons of water were used. The plant had large stores of ammonium nitrate, which made the fire especially dangerous to fight. “At the beginning of this incident, there was enough ammonium nitrate on hand for this to be one of the worst explosions in U.S. history,” Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo said two days after the fire began. Records show that the amount of chemicals onsite were over 4.5 million pounds. Fear of explosion caused the fire department and Winston-Salem Police Department to evacuate over 6,000 individuals, and close several businesses. Because of the work of the fire department, the plant did not explode. The cause of the fire is still under investigation as of June 2022.

## Stations and apparatus

As of May 2019 this is the current list of stations and apparatus:
| fire station number | Address | Engine Company | Ladder Company | Special Units | Battalion Chief vehicle |
| 1 | 651 N. Marshall St | Engine 1 | Ladder 1 | Brush 1 | Battalion Chief 1 |
| 2 | 405 Somerset Dr | Engine 2 | Ladder 2 | Hazmat 1 | |
| 3 | 2995 N. Liberty St | Engine 3 | | | Battalion Chief 3 |
| 4 | 290 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr | Engine 4 | | | Battalion Chief 2 |
| 5 | 771 Palmer Ln | Engine 5 | Ladder 5 | | |
| 6 | 1717 W. Academy St | Engine 6 | | | Battalion Chief 4 |
| 7 | 100 Arbor Rd | | | Rescue 1 Water Rescue 1 | |
| 8 | 2457 Reynolda Rd | Engine 8 | | Rescue 3 | |
| 9 | 4685 Ogburn Ave | Engine 9 | | | |
| 10 | 4700 Country Club Rd | Engine 10 | | Rescue 2 | |
| 11 | 2745 Waughtown St | Engine 11 | | | |
| 12 | 3620 New Walkertown Rd | Engine 12 | | | |
| 13 | 2110 Bethel Methodist Church Ln | Engine 13 | | Air 1 Safety 7 | |
| 14 | 5754 Shattalon Dr | Engine 14 | Ladder 14 | | |
| 15 | 4548 Shattalon Dr | Engine 15 | | | |
| 16 | 1701 Pope Rd | Engine 16 | | | |
| 17 | 4295 Old Greensboro Rd | Engine 17 | | | |
| 18 | 1505 N. Peacehaven Rd | Engine 18 | Ladder 18 | | |
| 19 | 4430 Glenn Hi Rd | | Ladder 19 | | |
| 20 | 5991 Koger Ln | Engine 20 | | | |