A three-alarm house fire ripped through a China Grove home Thursday morning, collapsing the roof and sending two firefighters to the hospital with minor injuries. Crews fought the blaze for hours at 610 East Church Street before finally getting it under control. No civilians were inside when the fire started, and both injured firefighters were treated and released.
According to the Salisbury Post, emergency crews were dispatched around 10:50 a.m. Thursday, and the response was quickly upgraded to a three-alarm. The scene was reported under control by about 1 p.m., but firefighters stayed on site until roughly 4 p.m. to knock down hot spots and clear debris.
County Will Handle Origin-and-Cause Probe
Per the Rowan County Fire Division, the county coordinates origin-and-cause investigations for incidents that result in serious injury, and its office is handling the probe into Thursday's blaze. Officials have not announced a cause as of publication.
Mutual Aid, Rehab and Road Closures
Mutual aid brought roughly 40 to 50 responders and about 20 apparatus from departments across Rowan County, and the Rowan Rescue Squad provided rehabilitation on scene, as reported by the Salisbury Post. East Church Street was closed between North Main and U.S. 29 during the response and reopened around 4 p.m. Two firefighters, one from Kannapolis and one from Salisbury, were transported for minor injuries and later released, according to the reporting.
The Town of China Grove Fire Department lists George "Tank" Stewart as the town's fire chief and shows Station 43 on North Main Street, which helped coordinate resources during the response. County and town officials ask anyone with information or video of the incident to share it with investigators as the probe continues.
Officials plan to update the public once the Rowan County Fire Division has determined the fire's origin and cause. We will update this report if county or town officials release new information.
