HICKORY, N.C. — A fire destroyed an office area for an old shipping company early Monday morning in Hickory. It’s the third fire in the area involving vacant businesses this year in northeast Hickory.
Firefighters were at the scene for more than six hours putting out hot spots and putting foam on the building.
Hickory- firefighters are on the scene of a fire that destroyed the office area to an old shipping company. This is the third fire in northeast Hickory of a vacant building in three months. Watch channel 9 for updates. pic.twitter.com/Fq9kpktbpA
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) May 23, 2022
Channel 9′s Dave Faherty learned all three fires this year didn’t have power running to the building, but when firefighters got to them, most of the buildings were on fire.
In April, a fire destroyed a vacant furniture plant a few blocks away and another fire in late February, where another old furniture plant was also destroyed by flames in northeast Hickory.
George Earlington, the owner of the property that was destroyed Monday, said he had plans to tear down the old office area to bring in more manufacturing to the property.
“I told some guys that were here that we were going to tear this building down,” he said.
Earlington said he had asked people living in the building to move out by Monday because it was scheduled to be torn down, only to get a call that it was on fire.
“What we’re trying to do here is bring more jobs for everybody. So give us a chance to get this place cleaned up so we can turn this into a industrial area,” he said.
Firefighters said all three fires remain under investigation, and officials are looking into whether the fires are connected.
The property owner said he plans on keeping a close eye on the property going forward.
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