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2-alarm apartment fire in east Charlotte sparked by cigarette

A massive two-alarm fire that left four people hurt in east Charlotte Friday morning was started by a lit cigarette.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A massive two-alarm fire that left four people hurt in east Charlotte Friday morning was started by a lit cigarette, Charlotte Fire said.

Firefighters responded to a fire at the Woodbridge Apartments off of Albemarle Road near Farm Pone Lane around 4:30 a.m. When crews reached the scene, they found heavy fire and smoke coming from a two-story apartment building.

"Upon our arrival, we had heavy fire through the roof of the two-story apartment building, so we immediately struck a two-alarm, which brought additional staffing to assist with the firefighting efforts," said Captain Dennis Gist.

Gist said firefighters declared the fire under control in about 45 minutes.

Captain Gist said four people in total were treated for injuries with two being taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The fire completely burned through the roof of the building and it's still unclear how many people were affected. Gist said the building that caught fire was home to 16 units.

Charlotte Fire tweeted that the fire caused an estimated $259,000 in damage and 15 families are being assisted by the Red Cross. A dog was killed in the fire, as well.


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