Just after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, first responders were called to the corner of Short Street and Long Street in Southern Pines to the Keller Williams Realty office.
A Keller Williams Realty staff member discovered the building was on fire while taking the trash outside.
Staff from Keller Williams Realty and a nearby body shop ran to the fire with extinguishers, buckets of water and a water hose to get the fire under control before Southern Pines and Aberdeen firefighters arrived.
The fire destroyed a wooden fence that connects to the building and hides HVAC units, and several units were also destroyed. The fire was contained in that area, but some smoke filled the building, and firefighters used fans to draft it out.
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.
~Article, photo and video by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Curtis Self. Curtis has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2019.
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