Winston-Salem Fire Department

The earliest precursor to the Winston-Salem Fire Department was the Salem Fire Department, created after the construction of the Salem Church. In 1782, the fire inspection service was created to ensure that chimneys were properly being swept.[4] If an infraction was found, the fire inspector could issue fines of up to $1 per day until the owner fixed the issue. [4]

In 1951, the Winston-Salem Fire Department became the first integrated department in North Carolina. Eight total firefighters were hired to integrate the department.[5] By 1967, the department was fully integrated.

On January 31, 2022, Weaver Fertilizer Plant caught fire in North Winston-Salem, prompting a major response from the department. Chief Mayo said that hundreds of personnel were involved in fighting the fire, and over 4 million gallons of water were used.[6] The plant had large stores of ammonium nitrate, which made the fire especially dangerous to fight. “At the beginning of this incident, there was enough ammonium nitrate on hand for this to be one of the worst explosions in U.S. history,” Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo said two days after the fire began.[7] Records show that the amount of chemicals onsite were over 4.5 million pounds. [8]Fear of explosion caused the fire department and Winston-Salem Police Department to evacuate over 6,000 individuals, and close several businesses. [7] Because of the work of the fire department, the plant did not explode. The cause of the fire is still under investigation as of June 2022.[9]

As of May 2019 this is the current list of stations and apparatus: