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Burke County emergency services outlines response to Grace Heights fire, rising search-and-rescue costs and new trail markers
Summary
Burke County Emergency Services reported on a July 13 commercial fire and mass evacuation at Grace Heights Health and Rehabilitation, described growing search-and-rescue call volume and costs, and announced a trail marker program to speed wilderness rescues.
Burke County Emergency Services reported to the Board of Commissioners on July 21 that coordinated emergency response partners evacuated 91 residents, sent 20 critically triaged patients to UNC Blue Ridge and handled additional countywide calls during the Grace Heights Health and Rehabilitation fire on July 13.
County Emergency Services Director James Robertson said the county and partner agencies moved “91 patients…in an hour and 53 minutes” and that 20 patients were transported to UNC Blue Ridge as triage-level “red” patients. Robertson credited unified command among county, city and private partners for completing relocations by 10 p.m. the same night.
The presentation put operational strain and cost into sharp relief. Robertson told commissioners the county now averages between 100 and 125 search-and-rescue (SAR) missions per year and…
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