Burlington firefighters quickly knock down camper trailer fire on Anthony Street

Burlington firefighters reached a camper trailer fire on South Anthony Street in just over a minute Friday afternoon, a fast response that likely kept a single blaze from turning into a bigger neighborhood problem on Anthony Street.

Crews were dispatched at 2:21 p.m. on April 24 to 525 S. Anthony St., where they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the camper trailer. Firefighters confirmed no one was inside when they arrived and knocked the fire down before it could spread further. The trailer was destroyed, but no injuries were reported.

The speed of the response mattered. A fire that is already showing smoke and flames can move quickly from a trailer into nearby property, and in a tighter residential setting that can mean a much larger loss if crews are delayed. In this case, Burlington firefighters got there fast enough to contain the damage to the trailer itself and avoid a medical response, a result that likely spared nearby residents from a much more dangerous scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. In Alamance County, the Fire Marshal’s office investigates fire causes in cooperation with local, state and federal agencies. Its investigators are trained in origin-and-cause determination, evidence collection and courtroom testimony, and the office says it may use an accelerant-detection canine with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. The county’s Arson Task Force also meets monthly on fire cases.

Burlington’s response also reflects the department’s broader coverage across the city. The Burlington Fire Department operates six stations and says in its 2025 annual report that it handled 10,462 total incidents last year, including 222 fires. The same report sets a goal for the first-arriving unit to mark en route within 80 seconds on fire calls and to arrive on scene within five minutes in city limits.

That kind of benchmark shows why a one-minute arrival stands out. It is the sort of response that can make the difference between a destroyed trailer and a fire that threatens a wider stretch of homes, vehicles or detached structures. Burlington’s 2024 annual report put the value involved in fire that year at $30,824,637, with $2,381,468 lost, a reminder that even a small-looking incident can carry a steep price if it gets away from crews.

For now, officials are still sorting out what sparked the Anthony Street fire. What is clear is that Burlington firefighters arrived quickly, kept anyone from getting hurt and stopped the blaze before it reached beyond the camper trailer.