UPDATE: November 21, 2016 — Greenville County Emergency Management is reporting that crews fighting the Pickens County fires are sufficiently stocked on supplies, but for people who want to help, gift cards to warehouse clubs like Sam’s and Costco would be appreciated to help purchase bulk items for breakfast and supper
UPDATE: November 17, 2016 — Bottled water is overly abundant, so please take that off of your list for the present time. There are varying needs for the Pinnacle Mountain fire in South Carolina and the Party Rock fire in North Carolina, though.
Party Rock fire crews are currently in need of: sleeping bags, blankets, wool boot socks, blister care, eye drops, nasal spray, and lip balm.
Pinnacle Mountain fire crews are currently in need of: hydrating sports drinks (e.g. Gatorade), disposable plates/cups/silverware, coffee and liquid creamer, fruit, and headache pain relievers like Tylenol or BC Powder.
A number of people outside the Landrum area have asked whether or not their local fire departments are collecting items for the wildfire crews. We don’t know which fire departments are accepting supplies, but if you aren’t near Landrum and want to donate, we would recommend checking with your local department to see if they’re collecting these types of items.
Please also be aware that unfortunately, there have been reports of individuals trying to take advantage of this current wildfire situation by attempting to scam well-intentioned private citizens out of their money by claiming they are collecting funds to support this event. Emergency personnel working to assist in this or any effort will always wear the proper credentials and travel in properly marked emergency vehicles. If someone in plain clothes, with no credentials, and with no officially marked vehicle attempts to solicit funds from you or someone you know, politely decline and let them know you’re donating directly to an official collection site.
(14 November 2016 – Landrum, SC) The Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District has identified a number of personal care items needed by firefighters battling the wildfires in Pickens County, South Carolina and in Western North Carolina.
District officials are asking anyone with the desire and ability to purchase some of the needed items to bring them to the department located at 200 N. Trade Avenue, Landrum, SC 29356.
Chief Warren Ashmore said, “With the fires only being 15% contained, we don’t know how long it will be before they’re out, so we’re asking our community to come together and help the personnel on the front lines.”
According to Ashmore, firefighters have an immediate need for a number of items that include:
- lip balm
- eye drops
- nasal spray
- bottled water
- hydrating sports drinks
- non-perishable portable snacks like granola bars and nuts
- non-cotton boot socks
- laundry detergent free of dyes and perfumes.
Ashmore added, “We will make sure the collected items are delivered to the staging areas for the various fires and distributed to the men and women fighting the fires. We will continue collecting items as long as the need exists, so any help would be greatly appreciated.”
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About the Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District
The Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District was created on June 3, 2015 by Act 48 of the South Carolina General Assembly to address evolving fire and emergency needs of the coverage area of the former Landrum Fire Department that included the incorporated City of Landrum, a contract area in Spartanburg County outside (but adjacent to) the city, and approximately 22% of the Foothills Fire Service Area in Greenville County. The district was created to transition from a part-time paid department relying primarily on volunteers to a full-time paid staff of fire fighters with emergency response personnel augmented by volunteers. For more information about the Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District, visit www.LandrumFire.com.
Brand names, product names, services, companies, events, and publications are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective owners in the U.S. and/or other countries.
This news release contains or may contain forward-looking statements that are or may be subject to certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such statements for a variety of reasons. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.
PHOTO CREDIT: South Carolina National Guard (November 14, 2016) / Distributed Under Creative Commons.