Crews put out fire that damages The Twisted Apple in Edneyville
EDNEYVILLE — A fire on the evening of Dec. 26 caused major structural damage to The Twisted Apple, located at 4039 Chimney Park Rd. in Edneyville, but crews were able to get the fire under control later that night, according to Edneyville Fire and Rescue Chief Robert Griffin.
Griffin said his crew received mutual aid from the fire departments of Bat Cave, Dana, Fletcher and Mountain Home to battle the blaze at the organic farm retail outlet that produces apple-based products, including its popular apple cider. The Henderson County Rescue Squad and the Henderson County EMS were also dispatched, he said.
Owner Anthony Owens was devastated when he got the call.
"We all see it on TV and hear about it but never think it could happen to you... but the reality of it is that it can happen to any of us at anytime," he said.
Owens said the fire destroyed most of the farming equipment, packing equipment tractors, a truck and also a cider press.
"The damage was extensive," he said.
At 6:23 p.m., Griffin said Edneyville Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the scene after callers reported seeing smoke and fire coming from the building.
"The Henderson County 911 dispatch started receiving multiple calls stating fire visible from the exterior. The time of the call was outside of normal business hours and the building appeared to be unoccupied," Griffin said. "This was also told to one of Edneyville Fire and Rescue units while making contact with the business owner while in route to the fire. When the first fire unit arrived on scene (Squad 15), firefighters found heavy fire in the rear building with fire showing out of the rear garage door. With the size of the building, Edneyville Fire requested additional units."
Those were departments were Hendersonville with an engine, and tankers from Blue Ridge, Green River and Etowah Horse Shoe for additional manpower and tanker for water supply, Griffin said.
"After completing size-up of the fire and the building, it was decided to make an interior attack on fire. This was accomplished using three hose lines to enter the structure, all from different points to make a coordinated, simultaneous attack effort on the fire in an attempt to bring it under control. In order to further sustain the fire attack, a tanker water shuttle was used to maintain a water supply for the firefighting efforts," Griffin said.
After about 30 minutes of continued fire attack, the fire was able to be brought under control. The Henderson County Fire Marshal's Office was requested to assist in the investigation of cause of determination of the fire.
"Units remained on scene working on putting out reaming hot spots until about 10 p.m.," Griffin said. "With the temperatures below freezing, the North Carolina Department of Transportation was requested and responded to treat the area of Chimney Rock Road to prevent it from icing over."
The Fire Marshal's Office, along with members of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, returned on Dec. 27 to continue an investigation.
"It's still under investigation. We had units back on scene today but nothing is determined at this time," Henderson County Fire Marshal Kevin Waldrup said on Dec. 27.
Edneyville Fire and Rescue posted a photo of the fire on its Facebook page at 11 p.m. on Dec. 26, thanking all those who helped get the fire under control.
"Thanks to the many firefighters that worked this scene... this was a true display of professionalism and hard work from everyone involved," the post said.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Crews put out fire that damages The Twisted Apple in Edneyville
