On Monday afternoon, a tractor fire at Hampshire First Baptist Church underscored the persistent difficulties faced by the Maury County Fire Department, particularly its dependence on volunteer firefighters. The incident was reported at approximately 1:44 p.m., prompting a response from the nearest fire crews. Firefighters from Station 22, located in the Cherry Glenn Business Park, arrived on the scene nearly 20 minutes later. Unfortunately, by that time, both the tractor and its attached baler had already been completely consumed by the flames.
In a commendable effort to mitigate the situation, witnesses at the church utilized garden hoses to help control the fire until the professional firefighters arrived. Despite the proximity of Station 25 in Hampshire, which is less than a mile away, that station was unable to respond due to a lack of available volunteers at the time of the emergency. Officials noted that many volunteers were either at their jobs or otherwise engaged, a growing concern that has been increasingly evident throughout Maury County.
The Maury County Fire Department is responsible for a vast area, covering 560 of the county’s total 612 square miles, and it responds to over 2,000 emergency calls each year. Currently, the department’s staffing consists of six full-time employees and around 60 active volunteers distributed across 13 fire stations. While county officials have made efforts to bolster the department with new resources in recent years, fire officials recognize that staffing remains a critical challenge. As the volume of emergency calls continues to rise and volunteer participation dwindles, the department is committed to advocating for additional personnel to adequately serve the community’s needs.