Firefighters To Remain Overnight on Scene of Massive Rowan County Fire
EAST SPENCER, N.C. –Β Firefighters are still working to put out hotspots and expect to stay overnight after a massive scrapyard fire.
“We got back there man, and the smoke and the fire was about 10, 13 feet high,” says scrapyard employee K.J. Cain.
He was working at Holmes Iron & Metal on North Long Street when the blaze erupted around 11:00 Wednesday morning.
“We all grabbed buckets of water, grabbed the fire extinguisher, to try to put it out, but by that time it was out of our control,” he says.
Scrapyard owner Dwayne Holmes says the fire started in a van, but he’s not sure how. Typically, the battery and gas tank are removed before the cars are piled up.
“It could have been a spark, they really don’t know,” Holmes says.
More than 125 firefighters from several departments, including Charlotte, worked to contain the fire, spraying 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water per minute.
Firefighters biggest concern was keeping the fire away from a power substation. Duke Energy says it only has minor damage.
But the company cut power to more than 1,000 customers in the area. Neighbors also say they have low water pressure.
