Multiple residents must find a new place to call home following a fire that caused extensive damage to an apartment complex on Raleigh Road.
A call for a structure fire was dispatched at 1:12 p.m. Thursday at the apartment buildings at 701 Raleigh Road, located behind the Jordan Shopping Plaza. The Clinton Fire Department was the primary department called to the fire and firefighters arrived at the scene within three minutes of the initial dispatch.
Upon arrival, firefighters reported heavy smoke in the area, as the structure had a working fire with smoke and flames visible from outside the structure. Bystanders believed that someone was trapped inside the apartment complex, but an initial search conducted by a crew of firefighters determined that no occupant was inside.
The fire spread through empty spaces in the ceiling, causing the fire to spread from one apartment building to the next. The extensive fire lead Clinton firefighters to request additional mutual aid. Firefighters used ventilation as one of their attack methods for containing the blaze, and aimed water from fire hoses in windows of the building.
“The extension of the fire into hidden areas of additional apartments made it extremely difficult to locate and extinguish the seat of the fire,” Clinton Fire Chief Stephen Lovette said in a prepared statement. “But I was proud of the hard work of everyone on the scene.”
Deputy Fire Marshal Prentice Madgar stated that the damage done to the apartment building was extensive but a monetary estimate of that damage had not yet been determined. The cause of the fire was also undetermined as of Friday. The Fire Marshal’s Ooffice must conduct a few tests, but they could have a determination by as early as the first of next week, Madgar noted.
Currently, there is no reason to believe there was anything suspicious about the fire, the deputy fire marshal said.
“We’re still looking into some things at this time,” Madgar added, stressing no foul play believed to be involved.
The fire originated in Apartment A, the detached portion of the building. Two families lived in that detached building, while the brick apartment building had multiple occupants. Two to three people lived in one apartment and three people lived in the other apartment, according to reports.
A resident living in an apartment in the brick portion was the first of many to call in the fire.
Many of the residents stood in the lot next to the burning structure, watching as firefighters tried to contain the blaze. Anyone standing adjacent to the window were asked to step back as firefighters were concerned with an explosion.
Heavy brownish-grey smoke could be seen pouring out of the top window of the brick building, which could indicate that the fire is burning all of the contents inside of the building but it is running out of oxygen. Firefighters must look out for that type of smoke as a backdraft could occur, fire officials said. Luckily, a backdraft did not happen and departments were able to get control through their ventilation tactics and eliminating the heat.
It took hours for the fire departments to contain the fire due to the way the structure was built and how the fire spread from one building to the other.
“It is a no-entry building,” Madgar stated. “They will not be able to enter the building for a while if at all.”
No civilians were hurt, but one firefighter had a minor injury. The firefighter twisted his ankle on scene.
Clinton Fire Department was assisted by Taylor’s Bridge, Turkey, Salemburg, Halls, Herring, Warsaw, Vann Crossroads and Roseboro units, as well as the Sampson County Fire Marshal’s Office, Sampson County Emergency Medical Services and the Clinton Police Department. The scene was released to the Fire Marshal’s Office for investigation.
