MORGANTON, N.C. — Firefighters in Burke County responded to an early morning fire at a mobile home supply company Thursday.
It happened shortly after 1 a.m. at Morganton Mobile Home Supply on South Sterling Street.
When firefighters arrived, the Morganton Department of Public Safety said they found a fully involved fire with flames shooting through the roof.
Officials soon learned that three people were trapped inside a basement apartment in the building. Thankfully, firefighters were able to quickly get them out without major injuries. Those three people are now recovering after being treated for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters say they had to cut their way through multiple locked doors to reach the people inside.
“Just incredible,” Israel Gibson, the assistant fire chief, said. “They train for this kind of event to save lives, and that’s what took place here last night.”
Multiple local departments arrived on scene to assist public safety officials, including Triple Community Fire, Chesterfield Fire, Burke County EMS, Duke Energy and Burke County R.E.A.C.T.
While it’s still early in the investigation, the State Bureau of Investigation has already joined the Criminal Investigation Division at Morganton Public Safety to determine the cause of the blaze.
South Sterling Street was closed from Believer’s Way to Drexel Road for multiple hours. It reopened around noon.