Fire heavily damages TC Burger King
Firefighters on Tabor City Fire Department’s Tower 11 get a close-up view of the Burger King roof Friday morning. (Deuce Niven, TLT)
By DEUCE NIVEN
tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com
Fire that apparently began between the ceiling and roof of Tabor City’s Burger King heavily damaged the restaurant.
Restaurant workers entering the store on US 701 Bypass noticed the smell of smoke when they went to work before 6 a.m., Tabor City Fire Chief Jeff Fowler said.
“They were trying to find where it was coming from then smoke started filling the building,” Fowler said.
A 911 call brought firefighters from Tabor City, Roseland, Williams Township, Fair Bluff and Loris, Fowler said.
Tabor City Firefighter Richard Coleman points to smoke rising from the Burger King roof Friday morning. (Deuce Niven, TLT)
Tabor City’s recently acquired ladder truck, Tower 11, was put to use on a fire call for the first time, giving firefighters a good view of the roof. One firefighter said that early view revealed flames coming from a vent pipe.
Fowler said an air handling unit was suspect, but that he and the Columbus County Fire Marshal’s Office were working to more specifically determine the cause of the fire. There was no indication that the fire was intentionally set, Fowler said.
“It looks electrical, above the ceiling,” Fowler said.
A firefighter soaks a hot-spot in the Burger King ceiling with a fire retardant foam designed to keep air from stubborn fires. (Deuce Niven, TLT)
There were no injuries, though a Tabor City Emergency Services ambulance was on the scene for nearly two hours, released as firefighters were finishing up their work to take a medical call.
Re-opening the store, Fowler said, will require significant renovations. Franchise owners were not immediately available for comment.
Look for more on this story in the next Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.
