Photo Courtesy of the Sparta-Alleghany Volunteer Fire Department, Provided by Imaging Specialists Damaged and ice covered, North Main Street's downtown buildings are shown in this photo taken after a fire ravaged Sparta in 1986.

Fire that destroyed north end of town in 1986 recalled

Editor's Note: The following is the second story in a two-part series on the fires that destroyed downtown Sparta. Information for this story was located in newspaper archives, from local residents and from the Alleghany Historical and Genealogical Society. The articles are part of an ongoing series this year in honor of the county's 150th anniversary.

The recalling of the story from the 1933 fire was made more poignant in 1986 when another fire on Jan. 28, 1986 swept through the exact same section of downtown Sparta. The fire burned throughout the night and forever changed the perception of volunteer firemen for many local residents, who ever afterwards saw the men as heroes.

Even though the firemen had modern equipment, fire trucks and protective gear, they still were not able to thwart the fire before it destroyed several buildings. Two main reasons for the department's difficulties were identified after the fire—incredibly cold temperatures and the lack of a ladder truck to spray water over the tops of the downtown buildings. The night of the fire, sub-zero temperatures and winds gusting more than 20 miles per hour made conditions brutal for the firemen, who were encased in layers of ice and suffered frostbite and hypothermia due to the conditions that night.

The water sprayed by the firemen almost instantly turned to ice, freezing on the streets, buildings, power lines and, as was mentioned before, on the firemen themselves.

The Red Poke Shoe Store Building, Sparta Restaurant and Pat's Place were all destroyed, as well as a vacant building that once housed a pet store. The fire apparently began at Sparta Restaurant and was reported at 12:50 a.m.

 

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