Fire officials in Wilmington spent part of their night working to put out a flames at an empty building in downtown Wilmington early Monday morning.
Officials with New Hanover County Dispatch said no one was inside the Dress Happy building in the 200 block of North Front Street when the fire sparked just before 2:00 a.m.WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Fire officials in Wilmington spent part of their night working to put out a flames at an empty building in downtown Wilmington early Monday morning.
Officials with New Hanover County Dispatch said no one was inside the building in the 200 block of North Front Street when the fire sparked just before 2:00 a.m.
According to Chief David Hines with the Wilmington Fire Department, fire crews didn't see anything when they arrived on scene.
Hines said some of the other tenants said the fire was in apartment 3, over the Fire Belly Lounge. Firefighters found the apartment door open, full of smoke. Hines said the stove and a few cabinets were on fire.
An employee from the Fire Belly Lounge went upstairs to warn the person who lives in the apartment of the fire. When no one answered the door, he kicked in the door and found someone sleeping in the bedroom and warned him to get out.
When firefighters searched the apartment no one was home. The occupant of the apartment returned to the scene later and told authorities what had happened.
Hines said the fire was ruled accidental, unattended cooking equipment. There was an estimated $5,000 worth of damage.
Copyright 2013 WECT. All rights reserved.
