A large fire caused significant damage at the Statesville Pallet Company facility in Hiddenite on Monday evening. Fire crews were dispatched shortly after 6 p.m. after an employee inside the building called 911 to report the blaze.
Multiple departments from Alexander and Iredell counties responded, arriving within minutes to find active fire on two floors of the structure. Due to the size of the building and the large amount of combustible material inside, firefighters spent several hours extinguishing the flames and controlling hot spots.
Two firefighters were injured during the response after stepping into existing holes in the floor. Officials clarified that no floors collapsed during the incident, and neither firefighter fell all the way to the level below. Both injuries were described as minor.
The building has been condemned following the fire. Officials noted that prior safety concerns at the site included blocked doorways and unprotected openings in the flooring.
Old Mountain Road, between U.S. 64 and N.C. 90, was closed for several hours while crews worked the scene and maintained water supply operations.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by local and state fire authorities.
