Scotch Irish Fire Dept

06/07/2026

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

The public shall take notice that the Board of Directors for the Scotch Irish Fire Department will hold the annual meeting at the Scotch Irish Fire Department, located on 3220 Needmore Road in Woodleaf, NC 27054, prior to our regularly scheduled board meeting on Monday, July 13, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.

All citizens and property owners within the Scotch Irish fire district are invited to attend and participate in this meeting. The Scotch Irish Fire Department will accept in-person public comments at the beginning of the meeting. You may also submit them by either (1) submitting written comments addressed to the Board President and delivered to 3220 Needmore Rd, Woodleaf, NC, 27054, or (2) submitting written comments by email directed to the Board President at [email protected]. Written correspondence will be provided to the Board of Directors, but will not be read aloud during the meeting.

05/03/2026

🔥Burn Ban Remains in Effect: Rowan County🔥

Rowan County’s burn ban REMAINS in place until further notice, in conjunction with the North Carolina Forest Service. This is a unified decision between both authorities.

Even though many other counties across the state have lifted their bans, Rowan County HAS NOT. We are still seeing conditions and fire activity that justify keeping this in place.

To be clear:
* No outdoor burning is allowed
* The only exception is food preparation on a safety-certified grill

This applies everywhere:

* Within 100 feet of a structure (County Fire Marshal’s Office)
* Beyond 100 feet (N.C. Forest Service)

There’s no gray area right now—if it’s not a grill for cooking, it’s not allowed.

We don’t take keeping this in place lightly, but we’re making decisions based on what we’re seeing here locally—not what other counties are doing.

We’ll update you as soon as conditions improve. Until then, we need everyone’s cooperation.

-Rowan County Fire Marshals Office

03/28/2026

Effective 6pm today, no open burning of any kind will be allowed until further notice.

To ensure county-wide compliance with this ban, the Rowan County Fire Marshal’s Office has issued a ban on all open burning.

During a burning ban, fire pits, yard debris/waste fires, and campfires are considered open burning. However, approved cooking devices on approved surfaces, such as grills and barbecues, are permitted.

Due to increased wildfire risk, the N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits statewide effective 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28 until further notice.

Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was previously issued. The issuance of any new permits has also been suspended until the ban is lifted. Anyone violating the burn ban faces a $100 fine plus $183 court costs. Any person responsible for setting a fire may be liable for any expenses related to extinguishing the fire.

The burn ban does not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. The local fire marshal has authority to issue a burn ban within those 100 feet.

Read news release: https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2026/03/28/statewide-burn-ban-issued-north-carolina-due-hazardous-forest-fire-conditions

03/27/2026

We’re running out of people.

Not just here. Not just in one department. Everywhere.

Across the country, volunteer fire departments are feeling the same strain. Fewer people are stepping up, while the need for help keeps growing. The calls keep coming. The emergencies do not stop. But the number of people willing and able to answer keeps getting smaller.

And inside the firehouse, that truth is already being felt.

The same names keep showing up. The same people keep carrying the load. The list is not getting longer. The burden is not getting lighter. And the people still answering are being asked to do more than ever before. Departments are leaning harder on mutual aid, while neighboring departments are fighting the same battle themselves.

This is not a problem for someday. It is happening right now.

And the truth is, this job is not easy.

Volunteering takes sacrifice. It takes training, discipline, and time. It will interrupt your routine. It will ask more of you than is convenient. There will be nights when you are tired, when staying home sounds easier, when the weight of the commitment feels heavy.

That part is real.

But so is what is waiting on the other side of it.

You gain purpose. You gain confidence. You learn how to stay calm when others cannot. You learn how to step toward problems most people would run from and actually make a difference. You gain skills that matter on calls, at home, and in everyday life. And you become part of something bigger than yourself, a group of people willing to show up for their neighbors when it matters most.

That means something.

This is not about being perfect. It is not about being the strongest, the fastest, or the most experienced. It is not about having everything figured out on day one.

It is about being willing to step forward.

There is room for all kinds of people in this work. Men and women. Young adults. Parents. People with full-time jobs. People with busy lives. People who have thought about joining before but never made the move.

You do not have to be ready for everything today. You just have to be willing to start.

Because the calls will keep coming. They always do.

One day it may be your house. Your family. Your child. Your neighbor.

And when that day comes, someone will need to answer.

The question is simple: who will it be?

If this hit home, do not ignore it. Stop by your local firehouse. Send a message. Ask questions. Sit in on a drill. Come see what it is really about.

Because the hardest part usually is not the training.

It is walking through the door the first time.