Photo by Matt de Simone
Photo courtesy of Botetourt Co. Fire & EMS
In the early hours of Friday morning, emergency crews were dispatched to a fire at 50 Sunset Avenue in the Town of Troutville. The address— normally associated with controlled training scenarios— was the site of an actual emergency, as the Troutville Fire Training Center, located adjacent to the Troutville Fire Department, was engulfed in smoke and flames. The department took to social media to update citizens on the situation on Friday.
Upon arrival, Troutville units encountered heavy fire conditions. The incident was immediately escalated to a working fire, prompting a multi-agency response from departments across Botetourt and neighboring counties, including Blue Ridge, Fincastle, Roanoke County, and Botetourt County Fire & EMS.
The training center is a vital resource not only for Troutville but for emergency services throughout Southwest Virginia. It serves as the primary location for fire and emergency training in the county and was currently hosting the 2025 Volunteer Firefighter Academy— a program that brings in recruits for instruction multiple evenings a week, along with weekend sessions.
Troutville Volunteer Fire Chief Zach Beckner expressed the emotional weight of the loss, calling the incident “a shock to us all.” He noted that while the damage is substantial, the department is determined to grow stronger from the setback. “The impacts of this significant loss will take time to recover from,” Beckner said. “But we will find ways to better our resources through this loss to our department and region.”
While crews spent much of Friday and the weekend extinguishing remaining hot spots, fire investigators from Roanoke City and the City of Salem began their assessment to determine the cause. As of now, no suspicious activity has been identified.
Botetourt County Fire & EMS Chief Jason Ferguson confirmed that investigators have not found signs of foul play. “The cause will be narrowed down over the weekend,” he said, “but I can assert that thus far there have been no suspicious findings or indications of foul play.”
Concerns quickly arose over how the fire would affect the ongoing firefighter academy. According to Chief Ferguson, the academy’s training schedule— which includes two weeknight meetings and additional weekend sessions— is expected to continue with minimal disruption. “We discussed our training team circling up first of the week to determine whether or not Troutville was in a position to continue hosting from within their fire station meeting room,” he explained. “I feel certain that there will be little to no disruption to the training program, but rather certain logistics will need to be reworked.”
As the department looks toward recovery, Chief Ferguson acknowledged the outpouring of public support but emphasized the importance of following appropriate protocols. “We are all so thankful for the community’s thoughts and prayers,” he said. “But at this time it is an active investigation with an open insurance claim, so we must work through that and continue to work together by discussing what the future holds and how we re-establish a training facility in Botetourt County.”
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
