By Sarah Campbell
scampbell@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Two men were burned out of their home Wednesday morning as a two-alarm fire ripped through a residence at the intersection of Hill Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
“The house was damaged considerably,” Salisbury Fire Chief Bob Parnell said. “My best guess is that it would be a total loss.”
Parnell said no one was injured in the blaze at 79 Hill St.
The fire started at about 10 a.m. and quickly spread.
“It was quite a fast fire. When the crews pulled out of the fire station on East Innes Street, they saw the smoke columns forming,” Parnell said.
It took about 15 minutes to get the fire under control, Parnell said. Crews spent nearly two hours finishing their work on the fire.
“Because of the damage that was done to the house, we didn’t send firefighters inside,” Parnell said. “It was primarily a defensive exterior fire.”
Parnell said no foul play is suspected, but the investigation will continue today.
“It was called in and dispatched as fire as a result of an air conditioning unit,” he said. “The actual cause is still under investigation.”
The names of the displaced men were unavailable Wednesday, but Parnell said they are being assisted by the Elizabeth Hanford Dole chapter of the American Red Cross.
According to Rowan County tax records, Darrel Spells of Laurel Valley Way in Salisbury owns the property, which is valued at $29,832.
All four Salisbury fire stations along with Spencer, Faith, Locke, Miller’s Ferry, Granite Quarry, Spencer and Cleveland firefighters responded to the scene of the fire.
Contact reporter Sarah Campbell at 704-797-7683.
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