Firemen have been battling a big fire at the New Albany Sanitary Landfill off CR 75 since about 2:40 pm Monday, January 16.
Fire departments from Center, Myrtle, Northeast, Southeast, North Haven and New Albany have been hauling water to the site and pouring it onto the fire for several hours.
There is no routine burning at the landfill site, so the origin of the fire has not been determined.
Construction waste and materials from clearing brush, etc. are the only types of material accepted at the landfill, so there is ample fuel.
Large, dangerous fire at Landfill off CR 75
The firefighters have struggled all day to keep the fire under control. Wind gusts of 15 mph or more are making it a stubborn and dangerous blaze. Firemen will remain on site until it is extinguished.
Firemen are fatigued and hope for rain forecast later this evening to assist their efforts.
The New Albany Fire Department (NAFD), as well as assisting firemen from Union County fire departments, had a horrendous night last night.
A late night house fire in New Albany brought the shattering experience every fire fighter faces sooner or later: a victim was trapped in the house. Firemen made entry through a window in one end of the house and, fortunately, found the single occupant of the house that was trapped.
They were able to remove the 63-year-old woman from the flames, but she died a short while later.
It was a tough experience, particularly on some of the younger firemen. It was the first time someone had perished in a New Albany fire in over ten years.
The NAFD has become one of the best trained units in north Mississippi during recent decades, largely through the extraordinary efforts of now-retired New Albany Fire Chief Steve Coker and his successor, New Albany Fire Chief Mark Whiteside..
Coker and Whiteside have overseen extensive training for NAFD firemen as well as hundreds of hours of training for fire crews in Union County’s several volunteer departments. The training has paid off in lower fire insurance rates for property owners and in an enviable record of rescues of folks who would otherwise likely have perished.
But you can’t win every time. Say a prayer for the victim of last night’s fire, her family and friends.
Pray also for our firemen. No firemen were injured removing the victim from the flames last night last night, but all of them are grieving.
https://i0.wp.com/nemiss.news/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/NAFD-fireman-in-silhouette.jpg?fit=1035%2C611&ssl=16111035NEMiss.Newshttps://nemiss.news/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/nemiss-full-logo-300x77.jpgNEMiss.News2023-01-08 20:43:012023-01-08 21:11:58Opinion: Say a prayer for our fire fighters
A ferocious house fire about 11 pm Saturday night took the life of a 63 year-old New Albany woman.
New Albany Fire Chief Mark Whiteside said the house at 203 Hampton Ave., New Albany, near New Albany High School, was fully involved in flames when fire crews arrived.
Whiteside said firemen were able to enter the burning house through a window and removed a woman trapped inside. However, she died shortly thereafter.
Union County Coroner Pam Boman identified the victim as Pamela Mitchell, age 63.
Whiteside said the state fire marshal arrived in New Albany this morning to assist in investigating the deadly fire. Whiteside said no foul play is suspected.
The fire chief said this is the first fatal fire in New Albany in over ten years.
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Fire crews and equipment extinguished an industrial fire Monday afternoon, Dec. 19, at 795 Sam T. Barkley Drive.
The call to Thunderbird Industries (formerly Metal Impact) came just after 4 p.m.
New Albany Fire Chief Mark Whiteside said NAFD crews arrived and observed smoke coming from a ventilation duct on the roof of the building. They entered the building and found a large commercial air compressor on fire inside the system. Chief Whiteside said in-house Thunderbird Industries personnel were able keep the fire in check until NAFD arrived. New Albany firemen extinguished the blaze and made sure all fire was out.
There were no injuries and no damage to the building. The compressor suffered damage, but the extent of damage will have to be determined by industrial repair people.
NAFD units were back on station in New Albany by 5:15 pm. Three trucks from both New Albany Stations and 14 fire personnel responded to the industrial fire.
Please share any thoughts, comments or questions in the Comments section below!
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New Albany firefighters, their families and retired firemen enjoyed their annual Christmas social Friday night, December 9.
Fire Chief Mark Whiteside gave recognition to several firefighters.
Retired Captain Bobby Simmons (R), with Chief Whiteside
Perhaps the most popular award of the evening went to retired New Albany Fire Captain Bobby Simmons. Simmons was honored as NAFD’s “Grandfather of the Year.” Whiteside recalled that Simmons could always be recognized on the department’s communication radios by the way he pronounced New Albany. Simmons consistently pronounced it “New-ALLL’-bennie.” Captain Simmons, accepting the award, said he guessed from now on he’d have to pronounce the town’s name the conventional way.
Lt Eddie Latham, Fire Officer of the Year
Fire Lieutenant Eddie Latham received double honors. Latham was named Fire Officer of the Year and was also recognized for 25 years of service with NAFD.
Richie Bryant honored for 25 years’ service
Richie Bryant was also recognized for a quarter century of service to the fire department Chief Whiteside said Bryant is the department’s rescue specialist and handles training for rescue operations.
Chris Whiteside was honored for 15 years of service as a fireman.
American LaFrance type 99 pumper & hose motor car. Wonder what it cost in 1928? Check out the NAFD history PDF below.
The Fire Chief told the group he is working on assembling a history of the New Albany Fire Department. He has researched city records and received help from retired firefighters and others. Whiteside said the work thus far is through the year 1928.
A draft of the fire chief’s work thus far on the History of the New Albany Fire Department may be read by clicking here: NAFD History to 1928
Halloween got an early start in New Albany yesterday evening. While Halloween (a contraction of “All Hallows Eve”) isn’t really until Monday, October 31st, more than a thousand children and adults kicked it off early.
NAFD’s Brady Shettles demonstrates his artistic traffic control moves.
The Thursday evening party stretched from New Albany City Hall all the way south along the Tanglefoot Trail to the Winston County Library. “Trick or Treat Trail” is sponsored by New Albany Main Street and its Community Partners.
Dorothy & Toto have special admirers.
Children and a good many adults dressed up in a variety of costumes and enjoyed “Trick or Treating” downtown and along the trail.
The New Albany Fire Department (NAFD) joined the festivities. Almost every parking space in and near downtown was occupied, some more than once as people came and went. Motor vehicle traffic at Bankhead Street and Railroad Avenue was heavy, so NAFD Fireman Brady Shettles pitched in and directed traffic at the intersection.
The Trick or Treat trail was Mad Hatter Whiteside’s cup of tea.
Fire Chief Mark Whiteside wore a stylish “Mad Hatter” costume, complete with wig and appropriate theatrical make-up. Children enjoyed having their photograph taken with the Chief.
At the Union County Heritage Museum
A few blocks north of downtown, and interpretative art installation, “Articulating Yoknapatawpha: an Exhibit of Kinetic Art,2” opened at the Union County Heritage Museum. Architect Spence Kellum’s exhibit of mobiles drew several dozen art lovers for the reception and costume party. Visitors were encouraged to attend the opening dressed as a favorite literary character.
“Blood Money” by Spence Kellum represents William Faulkner’s manual typewriter and is designed for display in the Faulkner Garden.
The museum’s Stephen Bennett got into both the literary and the Halloween spirit for the Kellum exhibit opening. Bennett wore a ghost costume, which referenced the “ghosts” in William Faulkner’s short story, A Rose for Emily.
There were, of course, no actual ghosts in Faulkner’s story, but many consider it a “Gothic horror story.” Bennett’s “ghost” certainly added a bit of haunting humor to the occasion.
Stephen Bennett as a Faulkner story “ghost” in A Rose for Emily.
The museum had further celebrated Kellum’s exhibit with a day of free classes on the making of mobiles.
A trip to the Union County Heritage Museum in the next two days will reward visitors with two excellent exhibits. Bill Steber’s ‘Spirit in the Soil: Objects and Evocations of the Mississippi Blues’ will also be hanging through November.
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A fiery single motor vehicle accident west of New Albany about 5 p.m. Friday, Oct.7, sent one victim to a hospital.
The accident, involving a small passenger van, occurred on Highway 30, a short distance west of Union County Road 64.
The vehicle caught fire and was completely consumed.
However, contrary to some preliminary reports, the victim was not trapped in the vehicle.
The victim was out of the van and was assessed by a Union County EMR crew. The victim was sent by a surface ambulance to Baptist Hospital in Oxford for treatment.
Fire crews extinguished the fire in the vehicle and a grass fire that ignited around it.
Firemen and EMTs from the West Union Fire Department and the New Albany Fire Department Rescue One unit responded to the accident.
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New Albany firemen responded about 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 5, to a report of smoke in the historic north side of town, but could find no fire.
Someone reported to the New Albany Fire Department (NAFD) smelling smoke in a house at 513 Madison St. However, NAFD Chief Mark Whiteside said firemen searched the house thoroughly with the homeowner, but could find no fire.
There was a distinct odor of smoke in the air in the neighborhood. Firemen walked the area, but could find no fire.
Others also reported a faint scent of smoke as far east as the New Albany post office during the same early evening time.
Whiteside reminded residents that there has been little rain in recent weeks, so they should be alert to the hazard of fire.
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A two-car collision near the intersection of Highway 15 and Highway178 (Bankhead St.) sent one or more injury victims to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County Saturday evening.
The extent of the injuries was not known as this was written, but a public safety official told NEMiss.News there was at least one serious head injury.
Hwy. 15 wreck blocked traffic in all directions for about 1 hour, 9-24-2022.
One victim was reported trapped in the vehicle. The Rescue One unit of the New Albany Fire Department dealt with the entrapment.
Three ambulances from Baptist Hospital attended the injured.
The accident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, perhaps 15 minutes after sunset, which was at 6:48 p.m.
From what could be observed at the scene, the two vehicles came to rest about one hundred yards north of the Highway 15/Highway 178 intersection and about the same distance south of the Highway 15/Highway 348 intersection.
An investigation by the New Albany Police Department (NAPD) may reveal how the two cars collided that far from any intersection.
Traffic was backed up for more than an hour in all directions from the busy Highway 15/Highway 178 traffic signal.
NAPD was the primary law enforcement agency on the scene. There were also units from the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Mississippi Highway Patrol.
More details will be published here if and when they are available.
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Jared Dillard, a firefighter with the New Albany Fire Department (NAFD), has graduated, from the Mississippi State Fire Academy.
Dillard completed the seven-week program to be certified NFPA 1001-I-II and graduated Thursday, Sept. 22.
Jared Dillard (left) is shown with NAFD Chief Mark Whiteside. Photo courtesy of NAFD
The National Fire Protection Association certification is necessary for a young fireman to continue his career as a firefighter in the state of Mississippi. The graduation ceremony was held in Natchez.
Dillard is about to complete his first full year of experience with the NAFD.
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Priority Ambulance, which operates Union County ambulances for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County, opened its new operating center to the public Wednesday, Sept. 14.
Until recently, Priority’s operations were run from the hospital campus. The new operations center is located on the east side of Highway 15 North, across the highway from New Albany High School. Priority management believes the new location will improve response times because of better access to Interstate 22 and other principal roads.
New Albany Police Chief Chris Robertson and EMT Jada Coker are shown during the Priority open house.
The new center provides comfortable sleeping accommodations, showers and a complete kitchen for EMT’s, who sometimes work 24-hour shifts.
In negotiations with the Union County Board of Supervisors, Priority Ambulance recently agreed to put an additional ambulance vehicle and crew in regular service in Union County. This was in response to numerous complaints of slow response times during the years since Priority took over ambulance operations from Baptist.
The county board was prepared to pass an ordinance with detailed and strict requirements that would give it a measure of regular oversight of ambulance operations. Because of the negotiated commitment from Priority to improve service, county officials have, for now, tabled any action that would give them direct oversight of ambulance operations.
As in the past, the New Albany Fire Department (NAFD) will continue to perform as first responders. The NAFD performs rescue operations, such as extracting passengers from wrecked motor vehicles and providing immediate first aid and CPR if ambulance crews have not arrived. NAFD Chief Mark Whiteside said that the fire department, as in the past, will have no role in ambulance operations.
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Both the New Albany Fire Department and the Southeast Volunteer Fire Department made the first run on this truck fire early Thursday afternoon. The original vehicle fire was on Abermar Rounds, a street in the Abermar subdivision, located 12-15 minutes from downtown New Albany on Highway 178 East. Part of the Abermar subdivision is within the municipal limits of New Albany, and part of it is not. Thus both NAFD and Southeast respond to fires there.
Fires in motor vehicles can be tricky.
Firemen from the New Albany Fire Department made two runs Thursday, September 1, to put out a fire in the same Honda pickup truck.
Cow Creek Towing
The first run about 1 pm was to a subdivision two miles east of Highway 15 on Highway 178. Firemen extinguished the fire — or so they thought — and went back to the fire station.
Cow Creek Towing Company then loaded the damaged pickup onto a flatbed truck and hauled it to Cow Creek’s place of business on Carter Avenue.
However, at about 4 pm Thursday someone observed fire and smoke — a billowing cloud of black smoke — coming again from the same pickup. This time the pickup was about three miles from where it originally caught fire.
Firemen raced to the towing company lot on Carter Avenue. This time they soaked the truck thoroughly. The Honda truck was a total loss.
No firemen or civilians were injured. No information was available about the original cause of the fire.
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