A large fire at an Aberdeen apartment complex left a firefighter injured, 19 people displaced, and eight units damaged Saturday evening. Shortly after 6:30 p.m., emergency units received multiple calls alerting them to the fire at Hawthorne at the Pines off Saunders Boulevard.
Crews arrived to find heavy fire engulfing a two-story building containing eight units. It was initially unclear how many animals and tenants were possibly still inside of the apartments.
Aberdeen Fire Chief Philip Richardson confirmed to Sandhills Sentinel on the scene that one firefighter was injured when the roof collapsed. Crews pulled the firefighter from the structure, and he was transported to the hospital by EMS in stable condition. He was expected to be released from the hospital later Saturday night.
No injuries were reported among the residents. Firefighters rescued a dog from the building, though two cats remain unaccounted for.
Richardson confirmed the fire was knocked down at 7:50 p.m. after firefighters worked for over an hour. Multiple Moore County fire departments responded, along with units from Pine Hill and Fort Liberty.
The Red Cross has been called to assist displaced residents.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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~Article, photo, and video by Sandhills Sentinel Publisher B.J. Goodridge.
