SBI to investigate 2 Lenoir fires

LENOIR, N.C. — State investigators will work with fire crews Monday in Lenoir to figure out what started two fires this weekend.

Firefighters responded to a fire at the old Broyhill furniture offices on Willow Street just before 2 a.m. Sunday.

Less than an hour later, and just a few blocks away, there was another fire on Stage Street.

Authorities are not calling the fires suspicious and won't say if they are linked.

Firefighters said they heard two explosions while battling the flames.

"What they have been doing a little bit is some salvage work with scrap metal, and so there was several acetylene tanks," said Lenoir Fire Department Chief Ken Briscoe.

Both fires started inside vacant buildings without any electrical services.

It could be days before they figure out what caused the fires, officials said.

WSOC