A substantial fire tore through an Aberdeen apartment complex last night, displacing 19 residents and injuring a firefighter, according to multiple reports. The blaze, which saw flames erupt from the second floor of a building on Churchill Downs Drive, required the response of multiple fire departments, including Moore County, Hoke County, and Fort Liberty.
Firefighters were called to the scene at about 6:30 p.m., and witnessed flames billowing from the two-story complex, as WRAL reported. They battled the fire for well over an hour, managing to knock it down by 7:50 p.m. Although the blaze was largely tamed by then, crews continued to handle remaining hot spots late into the night. At least eight apartments were affected by the fire, CBS 17 reported.
All residents managed to escape without injury, and firefighters rescued a dog from the scene. However, according to the Sandhills Sentinel, two cats remain unaccounted for following the incident. The Red Cross was called in to provide assistance for those who had been displaced by the fire, which gutted their homes and lost possessions to the indiscriminate flames.
The injured firefighter was taken to the hospital, the extent of the injuries have not been disclosed.
