What was Bat Cave Fire Department’s annual budget before Helene?
BAT CAVE, N.C. (WLOS) — The Bat Cave Volunteer Fire Department says it has lost 30% to 40% of its budget since Helene, largely because dozens of homes were destroyed along the river, shrinking the department’s fire tax base.
“Bat Cave’s in a unique situation with the fact that we didn’t lose the [fire] building. But what we did lose is about 40 houses along the river between here and the county line,” Chief Steve Freeman told News 13…