On Friday, April 17, around 3:00 p.m., a small bulldozer stormed the Guilford woods to demolish a firepit that has been a place for cultivating community for decades. Guilford prides itself on its seven core values, one of which is community. So why did this demolition occur? 

Earlier in the day, a Greensboro fire marshal met with Guilford’s Director of Public Safety, Ted Johnson. The marshal explained that there was a giant bonfire planned for that evening, and without proper access to put out this potential fire, and during a severe drought, the college would be fined $5,000 if the fire occurred.

Though the woods are technically campus property, they are open to the public and utilized by many Greensboro residents. The woods border a neighboring community, Jefferson Gardens. 

The community has a Homeowners Association (HOA), and on that Friday, members of Jefferson Gardens HOA were taking a stroll in the woods when the individuals approached the firepit. 

In addition to its usual configuration of a circle of logs, someone had stacked a large, log cabin-style tower of wood at the center of the pit. It was clear to them that, if lit, this would result in an enormous fire. They contacted the Greensboro Fire Department upon their findings. 

When Public Safety was informed, they reached out to Guilford’s facilities to push the pit away in hopes of stopping the fire from happening and avoiding the possibility of disaster and a large fine. Facilities then cleared the area.

Public Safety returned around 5:00 p.m. to the large circle of logs surrounded by another giant pile of wood. 

It became clear to Johnson that the student body was protesting this destruction. Johnson reached out to the Dean of Students to address the issue.

Shortly after, an email was sent to the student body reminding them that Guilford County was under a fire ban. Public Safety officers and the Fire Marshal would be patrolling campus and surrounding areas to ensure compliance with the fire ban. Facilities were asked to return to the pit and push back the logs again. 

The following Monday morning, Public Safety returned again to the pit to see ash, and other reminisce that a fire had, in fact, occurred. 

“Public Safety really wants to be a good partner to the student body and to do all we can, not to detract from, but to enhance the student experience,” said Johnson. “But safety is in the name. At the end of the day, we got to keep the student body and campus community safe.” 

Currently, the college has not been fined, and the fire pit remains at the heart of Guilford Woods. 

Some community members suggest future fires be held at the designated fire pit located next to the lake. However, this process involves getting a burn permit, which has to be done by going to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services website. 

Though the fire ban is still active, there is hope amongst many students for more community fire gatherings in the future.