Haws Run Volunteer Fire Department

06/10/2026

Please join us in wishing a very special Happy Birthday to the white helmeted, hard-charging, smoke-eating leader we are honored to call Chief David Hill !

06/05/2026

We were called to handle a vehicle fire recently, and there are some really important points we want to share about these fires to help you avoid them, deal with them, and protect lives and property when they happen.

1. Prevention! Keep your vehicle clean and in good working order. Accumulations of grease / oil in the engine compartment, smoking in the cabin or moving parts that are not properly lubricated are all big risks that can be avoided.

2. Be prepared! Keep a fire extinguisher in your vehicle and learn / teach anyone who drives the vehicle where to find it and how to use it. Most big fires start small and can be handled with an extinguisher if addressed early

3. Be SAFE. If you cannot safely put out the fire yourself, call 911 and GET AWAY!! Burning vehicles have many nasty things that can harm you or extend the fire to surrounding property. In this case, the vehicle fire spread into the woods, making this a more complex problem and introducing additional risk to the community.

The picture here shows our members attacking the fire and being met with a blinding explosion of white sparks. This is what happens when components of the vehicle that are made of magnesium burn and are hit with water. It's as common as it is hazardous, and a properly outfitted and trained Fire Crew can handle it safely - but you sure do not want to be anywhere near it when it happens.

We hope that this gives you some useful information to help you be safe!!

06/03/2026

We were thrilled to invite our community to celebrate our 60 years of service earlier this year...

Now it's time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of our neighbors at the Back Swamp Volunteer Fire Department

Please swing by to celebrate their half-century of service

🚨🎉 50 YEARS OF SERVICE 🎉🚨

The members of Back Swamp Volunteer Fire Department would like to invite our community, neighboring fire departments, past members, and friends to join us as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary!

📅 Saturday, June 13
⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Join us for a day of fellowship, memories, and celebration as we recognize 50 years of dedicated service to our community.

🎖️ Anniversary Ceremony – 11:00 AM
🎟️ Raffle Drawing – 1:30 PM

Whether you’ve served with us, supported us, or simply want to help celebrate this milestone, we would be honored to have you with us.

Thank you to our community for your continued support over the past 50 years. We look forward to celebrating with everyone as we honor our history and look ahead to the future!

🚒 Back Swamp Volunteer Fire Department
“50 Years of Service, Dedication, and Community”

05/31/2026

No one Volunteer Fire Department can do it all alone. We rely on our partnership with our neighboring Departments.

Yesterday we got to practice with our colleagues at Southwest Volunteer Fire Department on rural water supply using Tankers.

This drill helps us ensure that we are all ready to deliver when the need arises, and in this case, we got to certify another of our members on Tanker operations, adding another resource to serve our community

Great training!!!

Nine Mile Volunteer Fire Department Verona Volunteer Fire Department Holly Ridge Fire and Rescue Rhodestown Volunteer Fire Department Back Swamp Volunteer Fire Department Richlands Volunteer Fire Department

05/06/2026

You want to know who Firefighters really look up to?
It's NURSES!! 💞

While we only get a short amount contact time with the sick and injured people we respond to help , Nurses are there for the long, important care process that helps people over the long term.

Join us in recognizing these amazing people for all the good they do in the world!!

Happy Nurses Week!!

05/02/2026

N.C. Forest Service has lifted the Burn Ban for 81 counties including Onslow, effective tomorrow morning.

What does this mean for you?
- Outdoor burning is for natural vegetation ONLY!
-This only applies to burning over 100 ft from any structure
- You need to have permit, which you can get online, here https://apps.ncagr.gov/burnpermits/
- you must stay with your fire for the whole time it is burning
- You must have appropriate tools and a water supply to keep your fire under control

Be smart, be safe

See the full story here. https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2026/05/02/states-ban-open-burning-lifted-81-north-carolina-counties-conditions-improve-recent-rain?fbclid=IwdGRjcARjbSpjbGNrBGNsi2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHmAk7bowk-w8O89TvvG3DzBFjz24IYHYy9ql7dWHWGlsRNreREaeNzRj4Y1B_aem__vfWtBRZnv_VBAj-k5Xkzw

RALEIGH – The N.C. Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning for 81 counties effective 8 a.m. Sunday, May 3. The statewide ban on open burning went…

05/02/2026

This weekend we are taking the time to honor those firefighters who have died in the line of duty in the past year.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation leads the nation in our mission to remember those who have given the last full measure of service to their community.

Please take a moment to learn about the sacrifices made to protect you and yours.

We especially want to remember the Onslow County Firefighters who have died in the line of duty:

• Johnny Alvin Goines (Verona Vol. Fire Dept.) – Died November 23, 2024.
• Colin Gene Thomas (Verona Vol. Fire Dept.) – Died June 14, 2008.
• Billy H. Williams (Rhodestown Vol. Fire Dept.) – Died March 24, 2007.
• Brandon "Buddy" Whimple (Rhodestown Vol. Fire Dept.) – Died March 24, 2007.
• Henry "Hank" Perry (Pumpkin Center VFD) – Chief Perry is honored on the Onslow County Public Safety Memorial.
• Jimmy L. Davis Sr. (White Oak VFD) – Chief Davis is honored on the Onslow County Public Safety Memorial.
• Charles Harvey (Piney Green Vol. Fire Dept.) – Assistant Chief Harvey is honored on the Onslow County Public Safety Memorial.

04/28/2026

Because too many of you are not following the common sense rules... we are bringing in the ULTIMATE Fire Safety authority in the galaxy to give you a stern warning!!

Back Swamp Volunteer Fire DepartmentNine Mile Volunteer Fire DepartmentSouthwest Volunteer Fire DepartmentVerona Volunteer Fire Department Holly Ridge Fire and Rescue Rhodestown Volunteer Fire Department Richlands Volunteer Fire Department Hubert Volunteer Fire Department Pumpkin Center Volunteer Fire Department Piney Green Volunteer Fire Department Onslow County Emergency Services

04/27/2026

The light rain over the weekend has done little to help, so the Burn Ban remains in effect. Please do not burn 🔥

The statewide burn ban remains in effect until further notice despite weekend rain in some areas. Persistent dry weather and increasing rainfall deficits from the last several months have left most of the state needing 10 inches of rain or more.

“While the rainfall we received over the weekend was a welcome sight, it offered little to no relief from widespread drought conditions while being nowhere near enough to reduce our wildfire risk,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Even the areas that received the heaviest amount of rain will quickly dry out from the sunshine and warmer temperatures. Until we get some additional rain and see more green-up in our forests, holding the burn ban in place statewide is the best option right now.”

While green-up and leaf-out are progressing at normal rate, low soil moisture, dry surface fuels and persistent low humidity are contributing to wildfire activity. For Western North Carolina, excessive forest fuels from Hurricane Helene are more available now than they were in 2025, low water levels in coastal areas have helped produce intense fire behavior where ground fire will likely be a long-term issue, and the Piedmont experienced 87 new wildfire starts over the weekend alone. Extended attack and mop-up efforts will be taxing and long-winded until drought conditions improve.

Read news release: https://bit.ly/497dNht