Wildfire Resources Evacuated From North Carolina Hurricane Relief After Militias Start "Hunting" Federal Employees.
Update: Rutherford County Sheriff's Office Press Release 10/14/2024
“On October 12, 2024, the Rutherford County Communications Center received a call at approximately 12:54 PM stating that a white male had an assault rifle and made the comment about possibly harming FEMA employees working after the disaster of Hurricane Helene in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area.
Once deputies of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office were made aware, the deputies alerted officers with the Lake Lure Police Department and other law enforcement officers from other agencies helping with relief efforts.
A deputy went to the location of where the threat was made, which was located in Polk County and obtained more information. The deputy was able to get a color of the vehicle the subject was driving and pass the vehicle color along to all the law enforcement agencies working.
Approximately an hour later, the Sheriff's Office received information regarding the tag of the suspect vehicle. After additional information was obtained law enforcement was able to identify the suspect. The suspect was identified as William Jacob Parsons 44-year-old W/M of Bostic North Carolina.
Parsons was arrested and charged with Going Armed to the Terror of the Public. Parsons was armed with a handgun and a rifle.
Parsons was transported to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Detention Center where he was charged and presented to a magistrate. Parsons received a $10,000 dollar secured bond. Parsons made bond and was released later the same evening from the Rutherford County Detention Center.
The initial report stated there was a truck load of militia that was involved. However, after further investigation, it was determined Parsons acted alone and there were no truck loads of militia going to Lake Lure.”
Update 12:12 PM: I have been told the CIMTs have been given the go ahead to reengage, but FEMA has still not done so.
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I have seen property owners hold firearms while responding to wildfires. I have even defended them if they were on their private property, saying it was their right to do so. We would just load up and turn around. These folks typically are not very trusting of government employees and usually have concerns about water rights and pastures getting burned up, which affects their livelihoods.
But yesterday, things took a crazy turn with the Incident Management Teams and wildfire resources out in North Carolina. Nearly 850 personnel are in North Carolina alone. This includes Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Affairs employees helping with search and rescue and clearing roads. Multiple Complex Incident Management Teams are there, including from the Northwest, Southern Area, and Southwest.
FEMA sent out communications to these Teams telling them to “stand down” and “evacuate immediately” in Rutherford County, North Carolina. The message continued saying that Title 10 Troops had come across two trucks full of “armed militia members,” saying they were actively “hunting down FEMA members” and Fed employees.
I don’t know if people are “hunting down” employees but the CIMTs have been notified and are coordinating the evacuation of all assigned personnel in the county. This includes all CIMT members, crews, and individuals who went out on single resource assignments. They are diligently working to account for everyone on the ground and will continue to do so until all employees have been evacuated from the area.
Teams in other counties are on alert and will evaluate ongoing risks on the ground while coordinating with the North Carolina State Emergency Management Agency.
It is very concerning that emergency response has devolved into this reality. I read the news, and I’m aware of people's concerns regarding the ongoing response. I have family that lost their property in Ashville. I was openly critical of FEMA’s wildfire response in Lahaina, Maui, but this has become a nightmare scenario. The folks on the ground with these CIMTs are just there to clear roads, help with recovery, and support these communities. They have nothing to do with policy decisions or larger-picture decisions.
They are literally now in the crosshairs. I urge cooler heads to prevail, but this situation has spiraled out of control. It seems the whole world is going mad.
Emotions have boiled over, and sadly, a very small group of people have turned that on folks who were called in to help.
It's a tragic mess, and the public’s trust is broken.
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This is really sad and frustrating.
Me, and countless others, worked ourselves, nearly to death at times, trying to make a so-so paycheck doing something we could be proud of.
When I think about the individuals I worked with, the actual men and women, we all had a hell of a lot more in common with the regular day-to-day rural victims and those threatened by fires and by this hurricane than we had in common with bureacratic feds or political people.
I’m 47 years old, I kinda waddle on wrecked knees, I have a few very bad lower back discs…I had a variety of concussions, and I manage with some manifestations of ptsd at times. I didn’t get a lot of money, or any benefits, just adventures and stories and a sense of having played my part in something important…where I could be of service and be my best.
One thing I have the hardest time with is that there’s not much way to participate anymore and I still just want to go and help, whenever things like this happen.
I wish people understood…
It hurts my soul to see us hated. It pisses me off, and makes me sad, and helpless, and old, and kind of afraid of the future.
If I wasn’t poor, and responsible on a daily basis for making a living and caring for loved ones, I would try to go there and make contact and try to bridge these gaps…these militia guys would love most hotshots if they only got to meet them…and honestly, real honest, if they need to shoot some old wildland fire guy to deal with whatever the hell is wrong with them, I’d rather it was me than some young shot with their whole life front of them.