Firefighter suffers aneurysm battling Gastonia apartment fire

GASTONIA, N.C. — Gastonia firefighter Loren Ward was injured while fighting an apartment fire on Pineview Lane Saturday night.

Ward collapsed during the early stages of the fire and was taken to Caromont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia, officials said.

CT scans showed that Ward suffered from an aneurysm and was then transported to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

(Firefighter Loren Ward)

Gastonia firefighters responded to the structure fire at 11:23 p.m. Saturday at 2295 Pineview Lane in Gastonia.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a two-story apartment complex with smoke and flames visible from the street.

Firefighters entered the apartment and encountered heavy fire in one of the apartment units which was extinguished in approximately 15 minutes.

One occupant of the apartment units was home at the time of the fire, but was alerted by a working smoke detector and was able to escape the structure.

The fire was started by food left unattended while cooking in an oven, officials said.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• Mom of teen found a year after disappearing: 'It's a dream come true'
• Rising high school senior killed in Rock Hill double shooting
• Home invasion leads to shooting, stabbing in Statesville
• WATCH: Girl falls 25 feet from Six Flags ride, caught by other park guests
• Couple found after wedding photos discovered on flash drive at thrift store
• VIDEO: Keith Monday's Monday forecast outlook

Cox Media Group