Durham Fire Department

At approximately 2:00 p.m. today, the Durham Fire Department was dispatched to the 2700 block of Hillsborough Road for a reported vehicle fire inside a building.

First-arriving crews reported heavy smoke upon arrival and immediately began fire suppression operations.

Crews remain on scene working to ensure the fire is fully extinguished and the area is safe. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Did you know our emotional support dog, Ollie, spent time as a bomb-detecting canine in Afghanistan before joining our department?

We recently received this write-up about about his former life that’s too good to not share:

“Ollie - short for Olly Olly Oxen Free - started his career with Paws & Effect the way most service dogs in-training start: lots of fun run away games, nosework and an abundance of socialization. He proved to have a good deal of stamina and consistency, excelling in search work. Paws & Effect has a very good relationship with the Army and we tend to move dogs around in ways that reflect their strengths. For Olly, the harder the challenge, the more committed the effort and the more swing in his tail wag. It was clear his career path wasn’t going to be service work.

In about 2017 or so, he joined me in Afghanistan, rotating between a few platoons on the Pakistan border. He consistently found roadside bombs, some of which were daisy chained. There’s no way to know how many lives he saved, but if he was a quarterback, his helmet wouldn’t be big enough for all the stickers representing his efforts. He also joined me for vehicle searches at the point of entry to some remote bases in Afghanistan.

Once COVID arrived, it was time to draw down some of our efforts and make some career choices. Conveniently, Durham Fire was in the market for some dogs and that seemed like the most suitable work for Olly. He spent a lot of time working in a male-centric environment around some unusual equipment and didn’t seem phased.

I am SO glad this placement worked for Durham and Ollie. It makes my heart happy.”

Ollie - just another one of the DFD’s heroes!

Thank you CBS 17 for coming out to show the great work our Bull City Blazers are doing!

Durham girls train as firefighters during week-long summer camp DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A group of girls in Durham is training to become the next generation of firefighters. The Durham Fire Department is hosting a week-long Bull City Blazers Camp for young women.…