By Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

Polk County is currently working on an agreement with Henderson County Fire Departments to ensure some far-reaching areas of Polk, including Spicer’s Cove and Big Hungry are fully protected in case of a fire.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met April 4 and heard from Emergency Management Director Bobby Arledge, who updated the board on recent work with Henderson County Fire departments.

Arledge said a couple of months ago there was a structure fire in Spicer’s Cove and it was discovered that the homeowners’ fire department, Sunny View Fire and Rescue, was a quite a distance away from them.

While meeting with the Edneyville Fire Department, Arledge said they found another couple of homes that Saluda Fire and Rescue cannot get to in a timely manner.

Arledge said Henderson County is in agreement they will cover those areas. Arledge said the departments are waiting on a map to be drawn and all parties involved can then sign those agreements, which will include Polk sending fire tax money to Henderson County.

The fire Arledge referenced in Spicer’s Cove occurred on Feb. 20 and totally destroyed the home. The homeowners did not have fire insurance because the costs were too high, mainly because of the distance from the fire department.

The county decided to address the coverage to that area after discovering the area is closer to Henderson County departments than Polk. The fire was 22 miles away from Sunny View Fire and Rescue, which is where the homeowners pay taxes. The Edneyville Fire Department is approximately four miles from where the Spicer’s Cove fire occurred. Spicer’s Cove is an area of Polk County that is only accessible from Henderson County. The Edneyville Fire Department responded to the fire and requested the Polk County Fire Marshal and Sunny View Fire Department to respond to investigate the cause of the fire.

The county does have mutual aid agreements with the Edneyville Fire Department as well as others to respond to fires in those areas, but the new agreement will involve those Henderson County departments receiving tax money from Polk to include those homes in their coverage area.

Commissioner Ray Gasperson asked how the Henderson County departments will be compensated for their coverage of these areas.

County manager Marche Pittman said Polk will give Henderson County the fire tax dollars for the homes affected, which he estimated earlier this month at being a total of $1,200-$1,300 a year.

Commissioner Shane Bradley said this is great news. He said previously, although those departments have agreed to respond to those Polk areas, there was always the reality that they didn’t have to respond.

“This is great that we are working something out,” said Bradley.

Pittman said the county is also working with the homeowners affected and they are very supportive of what the county is trying to do. Pittman said the February 20 fire was a tragic situation and he is pleased something positive for the future is coming out of the tragedy.