Ambulance destroyed in Raleigh EMS station fire
A fire at a Wake County EMS station in north Raleigh Thursday afternoon destroyed an ambulance, but the paramedics on duty were able to escape unharmed, officials said.
Posted — UpdatedThe fire broke out at about 12:45 p.m. inside Station 3, at 5303 Six Forks Road, EMS District Chief Jeff Hammerstein said.
Two emergency medical technicians had returned from a dispatch a few minutes earlier and found flames coming from the ambulance when they checked on noises coming from the station's garage, Hammerstein said.
"In no time at all, the ambulance itself was heavily involved in flames, as well as the station," he said. "Raleigh fire got down here and was able to knock it down pretty quickly, thank goodness. But all of our crew members got out with no problem at all. Everybody is safe and well."
Officials haven't determined the cause of the fire, Hammerstein said. Wake County will take a look at other ambulances to make sure there are no other safety threats.
The building was heavily damaged, he said, and the living quarters for the paramedics sustained some smoke damage. The crew will need to operate from a different location and with a spare ambulance for awhile, but Hammerstein said EMS response to the area will not be affected.
Police closed Six Forks Road in both directions south of Millbrook Road while firefighters put out the blaze.
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