Inmates help extinguish grass fire

North Carolina Department of Public Safety

LEXINGTON, Feb 20, 2001 - Six female inmates on a Community Work Crew from North Piedmont Correctional Center for Women helped extinguish a grass fire in at the home of an elderly Lexington couple on Jan. 29.

The crew noticed a large grass fire in a backyard as they were returning to the prison after trash detail. Officer Sandra Young stopped the van and the inmates ran over and began to fight the fire using the fire extinguisher and water coolers from their van.

When firefighters arrived several minutes later, the inmates helped pull hoses from the fire trucks and firefighters passed out more extinguishers as the fire spread into neighboring yards. After about 45 minutes, the fire was extinguished, leaving more than an acre or land and an outbuilding charred.

The homeowners and firefighters thanked and praised Officer Young and inmates Jeanette Caldwell, Tamara Perry, Carla Jordan, Laverne Dillard, Terri Hayes and Renae Overton for their quick and courageous efforts.