In the early hours of Wednesday morning, emergency response teams were dispatched to Old Parham Road after reports of a raging structure fire broke out at a two-story mixed-use building in the area. Local witnesses told reporters they first noticed thick black smoke billowing from the structure’s ground floor around 1:15 a.m., before flames quickly spread upward to the building’s second level.
By the time the first fire department units arrived on scene, the entire building was already engulfed in flames, with fire officials reporting that extreme wind conditions helped accelerate the spread of the blaze across the structure. More than 25 firefighters from three surrounding jurisdictions were called in to assist with containment efforts, working through heavy rain and shifting wind to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby adjacent properties.
After more than four hours of aggressive fire suppression work, crews were finally able to bring the blaze under control just before 6 a.m. Wednesday. As of Thursday morning, there have been no confirmed reports of civilian or first responder injuries, though the building itself has been declared a total loss by local fire marshals.
Authorities have blocked off a quarter-mile stretch of Old Parham Road while investigators work to determine the cause of the fire, with motorists advised to avoid the area for the next 48 hours as cleanup and inspection work continues. Local business owners in the area say they are already organizing mutual aid efforts for any residents or small business operators displaced by the blaze, with multiple local community groups stepping forward to offer donations and temporary support.