KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. — A 45-year-old woman was killed early Wednesday morning in an apartment fire in Kings Mountain, police said.
Calls came into the Kings Mountain Police Department at around 4 a.m. about a fire at the Green Tree Apartments on Charles Street.
Firefighters got there while one of the apartment buildings was engulfed in flames.
The fire got under control, and during the search, crews found the body of Evelyn Blakeney, of Kings Mountain.
Several families were displaced because two apartments were destroyed, and six had extensive smoke and water damage.
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Channel 9 spoke with a family who lived below Blakeney and escaped.
They said flames ripped through the top of the building.
“(It) was burning,” said 13-year-old Kamir Cruz. “The roof went down, everything.”
Cruz said the sound of glass shattering at 4 a.m. woke his uncle, who alerted the boy.
“Metal exploded, absolutely exploded completely,” Cruz said. “Lights went off. Everything was horrible.”
He heard Blakeney scream for help, but there was nothing anyone could do because of the intense flames.
Investigators said the fire started in Blakeney’s unit.
A woman who lived in an apartment on the second floor couldn’t get out of her front door.
“(She) jumped from a window because her door was on fire,” Cruz told Channel 9.
Cruz said people waited below to catch her.
There wasn’t much left of the building in the aftermath.
The managers of the apartment complex moved everyone who was displaced to other apartments.
Cruz, his pregnant mother, and their family headed to their new home with only the clothes on their backs.
Cruz said his family lost everything they owned, but were happy to survive.
The cause is under investigation.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and loved ones affected by this loss,” officials said. “We extend our sincere appreciation to the following agencies for their swift response and mutual assistance during this difficult incident.”
The following agencies responded to the fire: Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Crowders Mountain Fire Department, Bethlehem Fire Department, Grover Fire Department, Kings Mountain Police Department, Cleveland County EMS, Cleveland County Fire Marshal’s Office, Kings Mountain Energy Services, and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department Chaplain.
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