Burke County emergency services outlines response to Grace Heights fire, rising search-and-rescue costs and new trail markers

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 this year projects roughly 200 SAR calls. He said the county’s overtime cost for SAR response is about $202,000 so far this year and that total response costs “will probably tip $300,000” given current volumes.

Robertson described several recent, resource-intensive rescues, including one extrication that required an 18-hour response and a helicopter removal that likely prevented a multi‑day operation. “Had we not had a helicopter come in and extricate this patient, we would have been there probably a full 36 hours,” Robertson said.

As part of preparedness improvements, County Emergency Services is rolling out a blue trail‑marker system tied to SARTOPO mapping. Robertson explained each trailhead sign will be geotagged in SARTOPO so dispatchers and rescuers can locate callers who cannot give an exact location. He said markers will be placed “at every trailhead that that we can put them at in working with the all of the trail partners that we have here in Burke County.”

Robertson also reviewed an internal reorganization that moved emergency management functions from the fire marshal’s office to the emergency services department. He said the restructure created a dedicated emergency management manager and planner, embedded special-operations personnel across shifts, and improved coordination for large incidents and multiagency events.

Commissioners asked about landing zones and helicopter use in remote areas; Robertson said the county maintains preauthorized landing zones (LZs) and that helicopter extrications are used in life-or-limb incidents and must be justified and coordinated at the state and, when federal aviation assets are used, federal level. He urged hikers to carry the “10 essentials,” saying many SAR calls are avoidable.

The board voted to accept the emergency services report as presented. The county manager said staff will pursue further coordination with federal land managers about wilderness signage and will continue to track SAR costs and resource needs.

Provenance: The presentation and discussion of the Grace Heights fire, SAR statistics and the trail marker program occurred during the scheduled “Emergency Management Update” agenda item. Evidence excerpts from the transcript include Robertson’s status update, SAR cost figures, and the trail marker explanation.

Ending: County emergency officials said they will press federal and state partners for additional trailhead signage where permitted, continue SAR marker roll-out, and track the fiscal impact of rising rescue workloads as they plan future budgets.