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The Woolwine Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., located at 9957 Woolwine Highway, Woolwine, Virginia (State Route 8), was officially organized in the spring of 1973. The fire department was organized after the W. B. Clark home in Woolwine (which was located directly across from where the department is located today) was destroyed by fire. The two-story house was totally engulfed in flames before the nearest fire brigade could make the 14 curvy, mountainous miles to the fire. There was no chance to save anything. The tragic loss of this landmark motivated The Woolwine Ruritan Club to petition for a fire department in the Smith River district of Patrick County, Virginia. A site for the fire department was immediately available because The Woolwine High School had vacated several buildings due to consolidation. In a mutual agreement, the school board granted the newly organized fire department a lease for a fire station in the vacated buildings. The fire department remodeled the Agriculture building with 3 bays and a meeting room. Using these facilities enabled the fire department to use its start up money for new equipment.
The fire department purchased a new 1973 Ford F750, 750 gpm, 500-gallon pumper and a new 1973 Chevy 1000-gallon tanker, which are still in service today. Crozet, Virginia loaned an old Crozet pumper to the department while the new trucks were being outfitted by the Oren Corp. in Roanoke, Virginia. Major Ed Turner, County Administrator obtained a 1952 Reo 500 gallon 2.5 ton 6 x 6 brush truck for the fire department. This truck was replaced in l987 with a new 1987 Ford 1 ton 4 x 4 brush truck/quick reponse truck. Major Turner also obtained a 1967 Kaiser Jeep 4 x 4 truck, which the department converted, to a brush truck. Both of these trucks are still in service today. In l997, the department purchased a 1997 Freightliner 1000 gpm, 2500-gallon pumper/tanker.
The fire department was chartered on April 20, 1973 with 50 members. Six charter members are still very active and in l998 were presented with life membership. These are Warren Fain, Mavin Harris, Blanco Midkiff, Bernard Moran, Lee Pilson and Bennett Shuff. Stanley Moran was presented with life membership in 2000. Currently led by President Warren Fain, and Chief Bennett Shuff, the department now has 33 members. The fire department responded to 37 alarms in 2002, and has already responded to 16 alarms in 2003. To date, the department has responded to 794 alarms. The department has an operating budget of $93,000.00 for 2003, which comes from County donations, Community donations, The United Way, and department fund raisers. The department has musical events and an October/apple butter festival to raise these funds. The department also has a very active ladies auxiliary, which help raise these funds. In 1998 the department purchased the Clark property across the road from the fire station and have plans to construct a new fire station.