Team Maury in Action: First Responders Rally During Theta House Fire

Issue #654

January 28, 2026

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

⛅️ Columbia’s Thursday Weather - Mostly cloudy w/ high of 43, low of 23 👉 Stay tuned to Weather Down in Mule Town for your local weather updates!

📰 Team Maury in Action: First Responders Rally During Theta House Fire

📰 Updates From CPWS

🍻 1/30: Winterfest Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details!

Team Maury in Action: First Responders Rally During Theta House Fire

Click image to see more photos

Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt shared this post on Tuesday. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a good one! 

A FIREFIGHTER’S TALE OF TEAM MAURY!
A story of everyday heroes.
-Peder Jensen

Yesterday afternoon Maury County Fire received a dispatch of a suspected structure fire in the Theta community. This dispatch set in motion one of the best examples of Team Maury that I have ever witnessed.  

In the middle of a historic ice storm with temperatures in the single digits I watched personnel from all over Maury County converge in the tiny community of Theta. The 911 dispatchers did a great job of relaying the information to us and working with us throughout the entire call.  

Unfortunately the dispatch was correct and a beloved member of the community had her home on fire.  Ms. Keith thankfully was not at home due to the weather conditions so no one was injured.  Ms. Keith served as the music teacher at Santa Fe Unit School for many years and has taught piano lessons for so many Maury county residents.  The community is already rallying around her and supporting her during her time of need.  

Without TDOT and Maury County Highway Department’s tireless work over the past several days there would have been no way for our fire trucks and personnel to make it up Theta “mountain” to fight the structure fire.  All of the trucks safely made it and in rapid time thanks to the volunteers that have been staffing Station 32 and others throughout the winter storm.  

Our paid firefighter made it quickly as well…. but he had a lot further distance to go coming from our headquarters station.  Brush 32 and Engine 32 were the first units on scene and made a quick fire attack that knocked the fire down and contained it until additional resources and personnel could arrive.  

Engine 29 arrived shortly after and supplied water to Engine 32.  Spring Hill Fire responded via mutual aid with a fire engine staffed by five personnel along with Battalion Chief Hickman and Assistant Chief Glenn.  They were able to deploy a second hand line and were a huge assistance in suppression operations.  Tanker 32 arrived and provided water to the Spring Hill Fire Engine.  

Maury County Sheriff Deputies were on scene within minutes and helped with security and traffic control.  They completely shut down Les Robinson to make sure our firefighters were safe.  Engine 31 from Bethel arrived next and was instrumental in laying out over a thousand foot of hose to the nearest hydrant.  

The critical supply of water from the hydrant at Gravel Hill provided by our amazing water departments gave us the water needed for finishing suppression and overhaul.  Highlighting another Team Maury component via the water departments.  

Tanker 30, Tanker 21, Engine 21 and numerous other vehicles provided manpower showcasing all the amazing volunteers of MCFD to show up on a very cold and icy afternoon and into the evening.  

Duck River Electric did a great job of sending team members out to remove the electric meter and make sure that the power lines were safe and secure in the area.  They also restored power to our Station 29 to ensure that the fire trucks parked inside stayed warm during tonight’s low temperatures.  The linemen from Duck River and CPWS have done a phenomenal job working around the clock during this storm.  

Maury County Office of Emergency Management Chief Shane Petty arrived with hot coffee, water and food for all the volunteers.  Their office has been up working constantly since before this storm hit ensuring Maury County was prepared and had a dedicated plan for this winter storm emergency.  Chief Petty left all that behind and came to Theta to make sure our volunteers had the hot coffee and water that we desperately needed.  He was a welcome site by all!

Over 20 volunteers from Maury County Fire responded to this structure fire including multiple chief officers.  

While these members were on this scene, there were three additional emergencies that Maury County Fire responded to; one of which a patient was transported by Air Evac.  Maury County EMS units have been covered up with calls throughout the county.  

TDOT came back out after our units cleared the scene and salted the road due to all the water that had quickly turned into ice on Les Robinson.  

A brief list of all the Team Maury Agencies involved in some way on this one structure fire.  

Maury County 911, Maury County Fire Department, Maury County Sheriffs Department,
Maury County EMS, Spring Hill Fire Department, Maury County Office of Emergency Management, Maury County Highway Department, Tennessee DOT, Maury County Water, Columbia Power and Water, Duck River Electric, Maury County Schools, Maury County Residents who are rallying around Ms. Keith and all the family members of those who support our volunteers.

It is truly a honor to be able to serve Maury County as a member of MCFD!  Thank you Mayor Butt for encouraging and supporting TEAM MAURY!  

This is a testament to all these agencies and their personnel.  I apologize if I missed anyone!  Please help me say thanks to all involved.  

______

And all of Maury County says “Thank you!”

Updates From CPWS

Update from CPWS posted today…

Current Restoration Update 

3 p.m. Wednesday

Our crews are making steady progress today! While the total number of outages is decreasing, you may notice the customer count fluctuating. This happens when our teams briefly de-energize transformers to safely complete a repair.

The Latest Numbers:

Total Outages: 25

Customers Without Power: 59

Work in Progress:

Active Repairs: Crews are currently hanging primary lines on Country Club Lane and at a North Columbia daycare.

Service Connections: We are stringing services today for customers who have repaired their meter bases and received inspections/releases.

New Damage: Restoration efforts today uncovered two additional broken poles that are being addressed.

Restored: Power has been successfully restored to customers on King Lane and Kedron Square.

Thank you for your continued patience as we work through these final, complex repairs!

Service Update: Water System Status 

Our crew is always working around the clock to ensure your water service remains steady. 

Here is the latest update on our infrastructure and local water safety:

Current Operations

• System Pressure: We are monitoring tank levels closely. In areas where the power supply is currently disconnected, we have generators on-site to maintain consistent water pressure across the system.

• Infrastructure Repairs: Our teams have successfully repaired 5 main breaks to date, including a significant repair completed today in the Williamsport area.

Water Usage & Safety

We are aware that TDEC has listed Maury County among those affected by regional water issues. However, we want to reassure our community: CPWS customers are not under any restrictions or advisories.

We will continue to provide updates as our restoration efforts progress. Thank you for your continued patience and support!

1/30: Winterfest Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival

28 breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cocktail bars will be there. Click the image to see the full list!

Join us for an unforgettable evening at the 14th Annual Columbia CARES Winterfest on January 30, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Memorial Building in Columbia, TN.

Indulge in an array of flavors from regional and local breweries, wineries, distilleries, and mixologists, offering a diverse selection of handcrafted alcoholic beverages. Whether you’re a beer enthusiast, wine lover, or cocktail connoisseur, there’s something for everyone!

Bring your friends and enjoy a night of sampling, mingling, and celebrating with some of the finest beverages in the region. Don’t miss out on this unique experience in the heart of Columbia, TN!

Must be 21 or older to attend.

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Thursday, January 29th

Friday, January 30th

Saturday, January 31st

Sunday, February 1st

👇 Click the Links to Learn About our Local Business Sponsors! 👇

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Thursday, January 29
Todd Ciprian - Tito’s Spring Hill, 6–9 PM
Christine Parri - Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30–9 PM

Friday, January 30
James Gregory - Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30–9 PM
Justen Harden - Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM
Vintage Voltage - McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7–9 PM
Songwriters Series - The Mulehouse, 7:30 PM
The Inlaw Band - Fozzy’s Bar & Grill (Spring Hill), 8–11 PM

Saturday, January 31
Andy Gullahorn - Hardison Mill, 7 PM
The Def Leprechaun Band - McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7–9 PM
Karli & James - Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM
Winter Series - The Bourbon Gospel, 7:30 PM
Vinyl Radio - The Mulehouse, 8 PM
Nkahootz - The Boondox, 8 PM
South Bound Crows - Fozzy’s Bar & Grill (Spring Hill), 8–11 PM

Want to get your business in What’s Up Columbia? Let’s talk