A fire crew was responding to a grass fire when an NC man shot a pistol at them, officials say

An Alexander County man is accused of shooting at a group of volunteer firefighters who were responding to a call earlier this week.

Crew from the Bethlehem Volunteer Fire department were investigating a grass fire Tuesday outside a home in Taylorsville, about 60 miles northwest of Charlotte, when they heard a loud pop, according to a release from the Alexander County Sheriff's Office.

A man had fired a gun toward them from across the street, officials said. A firefighter ordered the man to go inside his home and then called law enforcement for assistance.

Deputies responded to the scene and arrested the man, identified as 54-year-old Michael Douglas Porter. Officials took a pistol from the scene.

Porter was charged with felony assault with deadly weapon on emergency personnel. An additional charge of felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill was added later, according to the Statesville Record & Landmark.

Porter's fiancee told Observer news partner WBTV that he had been in an argument with a neighbor about the fire and was not aiming the gun at the firefighters but toward the ground.