SALISBURY — Three Wiley School Apartments residents were transported to area hospitals for treatment after a large fire at the Ridge Avenue building on Saturday.
According to information from the city, the Salisbury Fire Department responded to the early morning fire around 6:24 a.m. Crews arrived within three minutes, preventing widespread damage to the 65-unit complex.
The fire was contained to an apartment on the second floor. Residents were evacuated safely out of the building.
“Our crews did an excellent job of responding quickly to control the fire,” said Salisbury Fire Chief Bob Parnell.
Three residents were transported to local hospitals for medical care—one for thermal injuries and two for smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported. The Red Cross is assisting residents impacted by the fire.
Parnell said that when the department arrived, the fire was well underway and some residents had to be rescued by ladder.
Resident Henry Phillips, who lives on the first floor, described the scene.
“I woke up and I smelled smoke,” Phillips said. “I thought did I leave something on? I ran into the kitchen and did not see any fire or smoke, but when I went back to my bedroom, smoke was coming out of the vents and I had to get out of there, the smoking was overcoming and you could not bear it.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Salisbury Fire Department was assisted on-site by units from Spencer, Granite Quarry, Kannapolis, Rowan County, and a special mobile air unit from the Cornatzer-Dulin VFD of Davie County.
