7-year-old dies in apartment fire in NC; Over a dozen tenants displaced in Dunn
DUNN, N.C. (WTVD) -- A broken window and melted siding mark the aftermath of a holiday weekend tragedy at Ashbroke Apartments, where a fire claimed the life of a seven-year-old child and left 13 people displaced.
According to property management, the fire, which broke out late Saturday evening at the complex on East Pope Street, destroyed four apartment units and is believed to have been sparked by fireworks.
"Rules are put in place to prevent tragedies such as this," a property employee said, who has worked at Ashbroke Apartments for more than a decade. The employee, who did not wish to be identified by name, was one of the first to call 911.
"I was able to hear fireworks being shot off. I was able to see when the fire began to where it started to get out of control," he said.
Apartment managers said Dunn police were already on East Pope Street around 11 p.m. Saturday when the fire started.
The employee recounted the moments leading up to the blaze: "They were lighting off, I guess, what you would call it bottle rockets, which are fireworks that are designed to shoot in the air and then buzz off in the air. Unfortunately, one of the fireworks, not one, a couple of them went straight, and instead of flying in the air, they took off and went flat and unfortunately went through the window of one of the apartment units."
The fire occurred just three days after property management delivered letters to every door, reminding residents that grills and fireworks were banned on the premises.
Neighbors like James Edwards, who has lived in the complex for three years, say the events remain difficult to process. "I could see them shoot them up from my bedroom window. It was bad. I didn't really know what to think," Edwards said.
His granddaughter played with the young victim before school. "I really ain't sit down and talked to her about it. I'm gonna just wait a little while until everything settles down."
"It's something out of the ordinary and at the current time, we're just praying for his family," the property manager said.
The Red Cross is assisting families as they recover.
The fire remains under investigation.
Editor's Note: The story has been updated to reflect that the child who died was a 7-year-old and not an infant.
