Worthville Mill burns in Randleman

RANDLEMAN — An industrial building fire at the old Worthville Mill that began late Saturday afternoon burned through the structure before the firefighters could put out the blaze Saturday night.

The mill is located on the Deep River southeast of Randleman, beside the Worthville dam and the local “Worthville beach” area.

The Randleman Fire Department said it was assisted by Level Cross Fire Department, Asheboro Fire Department, Climax Fire Department, Guil-Rand Fire Department, Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire Department, Silver Valley Fire Department, Franklinville Fire Department, Pleasant Garden Fire Department, East Side Fire Department, Seagrove Rural Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Ulah Vol. Fire Department, Staley Fire Dept., West Side Fire Department, and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and the NC Department of Transportation.

Smoke filled the skies and sparked early worries that the fire could spread into neighboring areas, prompting some homes to be evacuated. Several spur fires that created a brush fire threatened local homes but were extinguished. 

Early on, PTI Airport called Randolph Communications to advise that the smoke was showing on radar and pilots were reporting the fire to them that an old and abandoned mill is on fire. 

At 10 p.m., as firefighters battled the blaze while temperatures dipped into the teens, the City of Randleman issued a Public Service Announcement, warning “anyone traveling through our Worthville Community and surrounding areas please use caution. While our Randleman Fire Department and our neighboring Fire Departments are working hard to extinguish the Worthville Mill Fire, water has collected on the roadway and the freezing temperatures are making for slick driving conditions. City of Randleman-Public Works and NCDOT have made sure the roads are properly treated to help ensure the safety of our citizens. Also, due to the fire taxing our water and sewer system please be mindful of water usage.”

Bystanders were also asked to keep away as there were several reports of bystanders being in the way of fire personnel. 

The entire area, including Highways 220 and 311, were affected with ice and heavy first responder presence. On Sunday, ice was prevalent onsite as smoke continued to rise off of an apocalyptic-looking scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.