2-20-2010
Durham NC.
By KEITH UPCHURCH
kupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612
DURHAM — Firefighters battled a blaze at a building near the Golden Belt campus in eastern Durham for more than two hours Friday afternoon after a fire broke out in an unoccupied part of the building, fire officials said. The blaze at 923 Franklin St. caused minor damage and significant smoke throughout the building, according to Battalion Chief Willie Hall of the Durham Fire Department. He said employees, who were in another part of the building, came outside during the fire. But he said the building was not ordered evacuated. Hall said the fire apparently began on a floor, possibly from a cigarette, in the back of the building in the area of the loading dock. But he said the exact cause remains under investigation. He said 20 firefighters from four stations — downtown headquarters, station 2 on Ninth Street, station 4 on Riddle Road and station 5 on Chapel Hill Boulevard — were at the scene about 2½ hours after arrived about 12:09 p.m. Hall said the fire was brought under control quickly, but firefighters had to spend a lot time getting smoke out of the building. No one was injured. (HS)