CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte firefighters battled two fires overnight on Friday -- both caused by electrical problems.
One fire happened at the Dilworth Animal Hospital on East Boulevard. The other happened at a home on Santa Cruz Trail in east Charlotte, where a teenager was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The fires were the latest in a string of fires caused by electrical problems. It comes as many people are getting ready to plug in Christmas tree lights.
Firefighters are urging people to take important safety steps.
It’s not clear if any of the recent fires involved Christmas trees, but neighbors say the fire on Santa Cruz Trail serves as an important safety reminder this time of year.
“I see a lot of kids here and everything, so that's kind of scary to think about,” neighbor Erin Bradey said.
Medic said they responded to a call for burn injuries around 3 a.m. Friday. A pediatric patient was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
“I saw an ambulance, a stretcher come out, so that's how I knew somebody was probably hurt,” Bradey said.
A man on scene told NBC Charlotte the victim is his 13-year-old niece.
Within hours of that fire, there was another major fire at the Dilworth Animal Hospital on East Boulevard. Thankfully, no animals were there at the time.
Just days earlier, there was a blaze on Marmion Road with no one home.
Investigators determined all three fires were caused by electrical issues, which serves as an important safety reminder this time of year.
Charlotte Fire Battalion Chief Matt Westover says it’s something they deal with every year. According to the National Fire Protection Association, electrical or lighting equipment causes 44% of Christmas tree fires.
"Make sure the cords aren't brittle that there's not exposed wires. Don't use extension cords, use power surge protectors,” Chief Westover previously told NBC Charlotte. “The most important things to water the trees regularly."
“I haven't gotten my Christmas tree up yet, but I think it's definitely important to keep in mind turn your lights off at night, unplug it,” Bradey said.
Firefighters have not determined the exact source for the three latest electrical fires.
The fire at the Dilworth Animal Hospital caused an estimated $300,000 in damage. The fire at the home on Santa Cruz Trail caused $50,000 in damage.
The victim's condition is not known at this time.