Firefighters deal with 90+ degree heat while battling Lumberton commercial fire

LUMBERTON, N.C. (WMBF) – Lumberton firefighters are still working a commercial building fire that started Tuesday night.

The Lumberton Fire Department was dispatched around 6 p.m. to a commercial structure fire on Roberts Avenue.

Crews performed a “rapid interior search” where they encountered heavy fire conditions, according to the report.

Firefighters altered their tactics due to the heavy interior fire along with roof instability to a defensive operation.

The city of Lumberton Fire Department thanked Northwood’s Fire & Rescue, Raftswamp Fire Department and Saddletree Fire Department for helping get the flames under control.

“The conditions were miserable with temperatures of 90+ degrees with heat indexes of around 108 degrees. Adding the extra protective gear it was necessary for calling in extra manpower to ensure the safety of all personnel working,” the fire department posted.

Lumberton Rescue and EMS provided standby and rehab services while the Lumberton Police Department provided crowd management and traffic control during the fire.

“It is because of this common bond (brotherhood, different badges but same desire to protect the public) that we are able to say that no injuries or heat related illnesses occurred while on the scene,” the city of Lumberton Fire Department posted.

Crews remained on the scene Wednesday, working to put out hot spots.

An investigation will be conducted into the origin and cause of the fire.

Stay with WMBF News for details.

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