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Board moves to terminate Burningtown fire contract; sets July 31 review and asks staff to plan transition
Summary
The Macon County Board of Commissioners voted to terminate the county contract with the Burningtown Fire Department and set a July 31 deadline for a final decision, while directing staff to negotiate interim coverage and preserve locally purchased equipment.
The Macon County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday voted to terminate the county’s contract with the Burningtown Fire Department and set July 31 as a firm deadline for a follow‑up review of transition plans and corrective actions.
Burningtown representatives, including Kenneth McCaskill, described an outreach and recruitment plan they said they will implement — social‑media advertising, door‑to‑door recruitment, in‑station training and coordination with Southwestern Community College for firefighter training hours. Department volunteers described recent training accomplishments and said they are working to bring member training and reporting up to state standards.
County fire‑service liaisons and commissioners raised repeated concerns about the department’s compliance with state standards, membership and training hours. County staff said mutual‑aid arrangements currently provide coverage from neighboring departments; commissioners asked that any transition preserve equipment for use in the Burningtown community and avoid a rushed liquidation of community assets.
A motion to terminate the county contract was made during the meeting; commissioners then moved and approved a separate motion setting July 31, 2025, as a “drop‑dead” date for a final determination. Commissioners asked county staff and legal counsel to:
- Negotiate a written interim arrangement so neighboring departments (including Cowee/Colesaje references in the transcript) will continue first‑response coverage for Burningtown calls while the probationary period proceeds; and - Work with the department to document corrective actions, provide monthly progress updates, and, if dissolution becomes necessary, follow the North Carolina nonprofit statutes and the department’s charter to ensure equipment purchased with local funds remains in the community.
Why it matters: The termination and the July 31 review set a legally and operationally significant timeline. If the contract is ended and not replaced by a local solution, neighboring departments will provide primary response in the Burningtown district and the county will need to finalize asset disposition and any legal steps under nonprofit and county contract requirements.
