A Monday evening fire damaged nearly half a Southern Pines apartment building, leaving multiple families displaced in its wake. First responders were dispatched to Austin’s Ridge Apartments, off Saunders Blvd., around 7 p.m. and worked quickly to extinguish the blaze. Â
The fire took place in the 400 block of the apartment complex, with the bulk of the flames and damage in the second story of the unit. The first floor was damaged predominantly by smoke and water.
Flames and smoke were visible from the outside of the unit, and a neighbor recalled the sound of the windows being shattered onto the sidewalk below.
All affected residents made it out of their homes safely. First responders were on the scene to extinguish the flames, clean up debris, and check-in with displaced tenants.
The flames were quickly extinguished due to the rapid response of local fire departments, so the fire did not have a chance to spread to neighboring buildings. The fire, smoke, and water damages were contained to one-half of the unit.
Responding to the scene were Moore County EMS, Southern Pines Fire Department, Southern Pines Police, Pinehurst Fire Department, Aberdeen Fire Department, Cypress Pointe Fire Department, and Fort Bragg Fire Department.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Abegail Murphy.
