Light's Mill - February 1964
Central Elementary School - February 1964
New Dixie Warehouse - February 1964
Tank truck vs. train at Haney's crossing - July 1968
Debusk Petroleum Distributors - November 1969
Back to top
An Early morning fire presumably to have started around 11:15 P.M. Saturday.
The building contained large quantities of Flour, Dry Livestock feed, and other
commodities. Damages were estimated at between $75,000.00 and $100,000.00.
Firemen from Washington Co., Meadowview, Glade Spring and Bristol fire depts.
provided mutual aid in extinguishing the fire. Crews from Abingdon and Washington
County were on the scene until around 7:30 A.M. Sunday morning.
Five trucks and nearby buildings were spared the destruction of the fire by the efforts of the firemen. No firemen were seriously injured during the blaze. A few firemen were treated on the scene for cinders in their eyes. None of them required hospitalization.
 |
 |
 |
A fire reportedly caused by a faulty steam Boiler during the early morning hours of 3 February 1964. Discovered around 5 a.m. by Abingdon Police Department Sgt. E. L. Blevins and Patrolman Jack Jones during their final rounds of Abingdon before going off duty. On arrival they reported smoke pouring from the windows of the two-story brick schoolhouse. Firefighters from Abingdon, Washington County, Glade Spring, Meadowview and Bristol, Va. contained the fire to the school grounds preventing the nearby residences from damage. by 7:30 a.m. all that was left of the school was the walls of the forty year old structure. Damages to the school was estimated at $250.000.00.
 |
 |
 |
The Third large fire to hit Abingdon in a just over two weeks. The New Dixie Warehouse located on the west end of Abingdon just inside the corporate limits was destroyed by an early morning fire. Spotted by a passing motorist around 10:00 P.M. Monday night. The fire had reportedly started in the west end of the structure near the offices. Fire spread rapidly through the structure and by midnight the firemen had the fire under control but the roof had already collapsed. Paint blistered on houses on the other side of Highway 11 by the intense heat from the fire. Firemen kept the fire contained in the warehouse itself and protected nearby homes and businesses as close as 50 feet from the structure from the destructive force of the fire.
Neighboring firemen from Washington County, Meadowview, Glade Spring and Bristol aided in fighting the fire. Hampering the efforts of the firemen was low pressure on the lines. Tanker trucks rapidly ran out of water and Hose was laid up to a mile away to get water from hydrants.
 |
 |
On Wednesday afternoon, July 17th a freight train collided with a tank truck loaded with gasoline at Haney’s crossing between Main St. and Colonial Rd. in Abingdon. The truck loaded with 8,500 gals. of gasoline was crossing the tracks on the way to the distributors to change drivers and start making local deliveries. Bystanders said that the truck was almost completely across the tracks when the train struck the tanker. The truck exploded immediately on impact. The force of the explosion shattered windows in the area. Adding to the disaster was that next to the tracks less than 100 ft. away was a gasoline station. The train also carried a car loaded with propane, which was surrounded in fire. The time of the collision was also inopportune since one of the local industries was releasing their employees for the day and most used the crossing to make their way home. A home was badly damaged by the heat and flames. Three cars that were waiting at the crossing were also destroyed.The driver of the truck and the train’s brakeman were killed and eight others were injured in the collision.The fire from the burning gasoline set the grass along the tracks on fire that set ablaze a boxcar loaded with cotton and threatened the car loaded with propane. Once the propane car was cooled by the firefighters it was pulled away by railroad officials.
Firefighters from Abingdon, Meadowview, Glade Spring, Washington County and Bristol fought the blaze for over two hours before it was under control.
 |
 |
 |
 |
A Massive fire and explosion rocked Abingdon around 5 p.m. The Debusk petroleum Distributors located on the north edge of Abingdon's town limits. The explosion was touched off when sparks from an overheated pump ignited gasoline being transferred from a tanker truck to a storage tank.
Miraculously none of the five storage tanks containing gasoline and kerosene exploded. However, the truck being emptied and another truck exploded and one of the storage tanks ruptured spilling crude gasoline into the inferno. When the trucks exploded. The blast shot flames upward for 800 ft. forming a giant mushroom cloud of fire and smoke that could be seen for up to 30 miles away.
A total of nine departments, Abingdon, Damascus, Glade Spring, Goodson-Kinderhook, Meadowview, Washington County, Bristol, Virginia, Avoca, and Sullivan County, Tennessee, responded to the Alarm. Preventing one of the worst fires in Abingdon's history from becoming a true disaster. The fire raged for more than three hours before the firefighters brought the flame under control. They kept the flames from spreading to a new building that was under construction and two Tobacco warehouses nearby.
During the explosions the force of the blast strew gasoline upwards and outwards. Initially forcing the firefighters to move away and then rush back in to prevent the falling gasoline from spreading the fire over a larger area.
Amazingly no one died as a result of the fire. However, three men were injured. The most serious of the three was W. C. Debusk, manager of the company and son of the owner. He suffered first, second and third degree burns on his face, arms, back and legs totaling over 60% of his body. Also injured was Bill Poole with burns on his hands and face and Abingdon Fire Chief Bo McCormick who was treated and released from Johnston Memorial Hospital for back pains.
Damages as a result of the explosion were estimated at $100,000.00
 |
 |
| Purchased | Make & Model | Comments |
Retired |
| 1924 | American LaFrance Type 92 | Housed at the Abingdon Fire Station | ???? |
| 1928 | American LaFrance | Housed at the Abingdon Fire Station | 1964 |
| 1948 | DODGE / OREN | 198? | |
| 1957 | DODGE / Utility truck | Personnel carrier / Overhaul | 1974 |
| 1957 | FORD / OREN | 197? | |
| 1964 | FORD / OREN | SOLD at Town auction | April 1999 |
| 1973 | DODGE / Utility body | Overhaul and Equipment carrier | 1985 |
| 1974 | FORD / E-ONE | Currently being used by Town of Abingdon Public Works for utility purposes | 1995 |