Multiple departments across Moore County responded to an outside fire that caught an abandoned mobile home on fire Monday afternoon. The fire broke out shortly after 2 p.m. deep in a wooded area located off Daily Drive, which branches from U.S. Highway 15-501 outside of Carthage.
Smoke from the fire could be seen from over a mile away. According to authorities on the scene, the property owners had been burning debris, but the fire got away from them and caught a nearby abandoned mobile home on fire. As a result, the mobile home was destroyed.
There were two additional mobile homes nearby as well, but firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading to any other buildings. The road leading to the fire was so narrow that only the first engine on the scene could fit in the driveway, and then an extended length of fire hose had to be used to access the fire.
Carthage Fire Chief Brian Tyner requested a tanker strike team to respond due to the distance off the road and difficult access to the fire.
The N.C. Forest Service was dispatched for a plow to keep any remaining fire from spreading further.
Due to the large number of emergency units on the scene blocking the highway, traffic was diverted around the scene onto Red Branch Road and Kelly Road.
When emergency units first arrived on the scene, a rear-end collision occurred just under a 1/4 mile north due to southbound traffic abruptly coming to a stop, but it is unknown if there were any injuries.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Daniel Gwyn. Daniel has been reporting breaking news for Sandhills Sentinel since 2020.
