The Latest on the Downtown Statesville Fire

A devastating fire yesterday in the Historic District of Downtown Statesville damaged three businesses: GG’s Art Frames Gifts, Merrill Lynch, and Theater Statesville. The fire caused heavy damage to the buildings, including fire, smoke, and water damage, and also affected neighboring buildings with smoke and water damage. The fire was initially spotted by firefighters from Station 1, who were responding to a separate call and noticed smoke coming from the downtown area. Upon arrival, they found flames and heavy smoke emanating from the buildings in the 100 block of S. Center Street and W. Broad Street. The situation quickly escalated, and a general alarm was issued at 2:33am, with additional fire personnel from neighboring agencies rushing to the scene. At the peak of the fire, around 75 fire personnel were on site. It took several hours to bring the fire under control, and the control time was declared at approximately 5:30am. There were no reported injuries, as all the buildings were unoccupied at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by various agencies, including the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Office of the State Fire Marshal (NCOSFM), and the Statesville Fire Marshal. Given the extent of the damage and the size of the buildings, the investigation is expected to be lengthy, and the public is advised to avoid the area if possible. Photo credit: WBTV