By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
Three fires damaged or destroyed buildings Saturday in separate incidents across the county.
The first one burned an apartment at 520 Lafayette Circle in Salisbury at about 7:45 a.m. Battalion Chief Jay Baker with the Salisbury Fire Department said the fire was brought under control within 15 minutes and before it spread to the rest of the building.
Baker said the apartment where the fire started had ěsignificant fire and water damage, and as far as the rest, there was just some smoke and water damage.î
The apartment complex is owned by the Salisbury Housing Authority.
One person was living in the apartment where it started and eight to 10 others were in the rest of the building. The Red Cross is assisting them while the building is inspected for safety.
The Granite Quarry Fire Department, Rowan County EMS and Rowan County Rescue Squad responded.
At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, a fire destroyed a single-story vacant house at 550 Oak Mountain Road.
Capt. Bradley McKnight with the Locke Fire Department said it took 30 minutes to put out the blaze.
West Rowan, Franklin and Cleveland Fire Departments responded, along with the rescue squad and local officials from the N.C. Division of Forest Resources.
ěWe had a tree catch on fire beside it, and they dropped it for us,î McKnight said.
The causes of both fires are under investigation.
A third blaze was reported around 11:45 a.m. at another vacant house on West Henderson Street in East Spencer, according to emergency scanner traffic. Officials at the East Spencer Fire Department could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.