Downtown Building Burns

FOREST CITY, N.C. — A major fire in downtown Forest City Monday evening heavily damaged a vacant building and caused water damage to neighboring businesses.

Forest City Fire and Rescue crews were called to the fire on Main Street shortly after 5 p.m. on August 31. Flames and heavy smoke could be seen coming from the downtown building as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.

According to Forest City Mayor Steve Holland, the fire began inside a vacant hardware store. Water used to fight the fire also caused damage to neighboring businesses, including a barber shop and nail salon.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Mayor Holland said the damaged building will need to be demolished. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is expected to investigate.

The historic downtown fire drew significant attention Monday evening as crews continued working at the scene.

This remains an ongoing investigation