WFD: Improperly discarded smoking materials started Glen Apartments fire

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Investigators say a fire that burned a few building at the Glen Apartments Tuesday night was started by someone who was smoking.

Wilmington Fire Department say improperly discarded smoking materials is the official cause of the blaze on Filmore Drive.

Wilmington Assistant Fire Chief Rick Pearsall says the call came in around 10:30 last night.

When they arrived they saw fire running along the roof of four apartments. Crews were able to enter the building, but they had to get back out because of safety concerns.

Residents say they could smell what they thought was burning rubber.

“I was sitting in my living room and I had the door open so I could smell it right away,” Faith Copeland said. “It kind of just smelt like burning rubber and I walked outside and I could see the smoke in the breeze and then all of a sudden the cops started coming in.”

It took firefighters about an hour to get the fire fully under control.

No one got hurt. The Red Cross is helping the families whose apartments were damaged from the fire.