Idlewild Volunteer Fire Department

Department Overview[]

The Idlewild Volunteer Fire Department served an area of southeastern Mecklenburg County between the City of Charlotte and the Towns of Matthews and Mint Hill. In 2024, its last full year of service, the department responded to more than 2,000 calls for service.

Department History[]

The Idlewild Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1975 to provide improved protection for the unincorporated area between Matthews and Mint Hill. To the north had been the service area of the Oakhurst Volunteer Fire Department. The Oakhurst VFD operated until 1974 and was disbanded after its service area was annexed by the City of Charlotte. The Oakhurst VFD essentially moved and reorganized as Idlewild VFD, donating their equipment to start the Idlewild VFD and many of the former Oakhurst volunteers also moved to Idlewild to provide leadership for the new organization.

Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners passed resolution officially creating the Idlewild VFD on July 7, 1975. They initially operated out of a small garage on Idlewild Road until their station was completed.

In 1991, the Idlewild Volunteer Fire Department took on the additional role of medical first responder.

In 2005, the department began supplementing volunteers with part-time paid staff.

As the Towns of Matthews and Mint Hill have expanded, the towns annexed much of Idlewild’s primary service area. Initially the department operated under contracts with both the Towns of Matthews and Mint Hill to provide fire protection and first responders services to areas of those towns closest to Idlewild station. By 2025, Idlewild actual primary service area had been reduces to three small non-contiguous areas.

In 2025, the Matthews Fire and EMS Department opened Station 3 on Matthews Mint Hill Parkway and the Mint Hill Fire Department opened Station 2 on Lebanon Road. With the opening of these new stations, the need for the Idlewild Volunteer Fire Department was effectively eliminated.

On March 30, 2025, the department closed its doors after 50 years of service. The assets of the department were split between the towns of Mint Hill and Matthews fire departments and Idlewild’s volunteers were offered positions with the two town departments, ensuring that the Idlewild team will still have a chance to serve.

Apparatus Roster[]

All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.

Fire Station - 10241 Idlewild Road, Matthews[]

Engine 91 “Jersey Girl” (Reserve) - 1991 Seagrave (1500/1000) (Ex-Lucent Fire Brigade)

Engine 92 - 2010 Spartan Gladiator / Rosenbauer (1500/750)

Engine 93 - 2017 Ferrara Igniter (2000/750/30A) (SN#HS-6072)

Car 98 (Reserve) - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 (Ex-OPS 98, ex-Squad 99)

Squad 99 (EMS) - 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV 4x4

Retired Apparatus[]

1999 Spartan / Saulsbury pumper (1500/750/50F) (SN#298043) (Ex-Engine 3) (Sold to Rennert Volunteer Fire Department)

1998 Chevrolet rescue (Ex-Rescue 12)

1991 Ford F-350 4x4 brush (100/250)

1989 Spartan Gladiator / Grumman FC-1500 pumper (1500/1000) (SN#18213) (Ex-Engine 1)

1981 Ford C / Grumman pumper (1000/500) (SN#18256) (Sold to Tyrrell Volunteer Fire Department)

1981 Ford C / Grumman F-10 tanker (1000/1000) (SN#16253) (Ex-Engine 2)

1969 Ford C-850 / Ward LaFrance Command Tower (1000/750) (Transferred from Oakhurst)

1968 White tractor (350PTO/-) / 1986 4-Guys tanker (-/3500 tractor-drawn)

1952 Ford / Carolina Equipment Co. pumper (500/800) (Transferred from Oakhurst)

External Links[]

Idlewild Volunteer Fire Department

Station Map[]

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