The Thacker Mountain fire tower’s days are officially numbered.

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors voted on Monday to accept a bid from Heavy Construction for $14,809 for the removal of the tower, which has been a staple in the county for decades.

The now-decrepit structure has become a safety concern in recent years, with several board members citing the county’s liability in the event of an accident as the driving factor for the tower’s removal.

“I was contacted by a group that wants to keep it but I’m worried about the liability of it,” said district three supervisor David Rikard.

District two supervisor Larry Gillespie echoed those concerns—stating that the tower has become too dangerous for the county to turn a blind eye to.

“I’m sad to see it go but it’s just too much of a liability issue now,” Gillespie said. “You have kids going up there and somebody could get hurt.”

The tower was originally used to locate forest fires and house emergency response equipment, but Lafayette County Emergency Management Director Steve Quarles said it is no longer required to provide adequate emergency response.

“Another tower has been built beside it that holds those transmitters now,” Quarles said back in May. “It won’t affect our emergency response.”