Single Vehicle Fire in Hoffman Becomes Conflagration

HOFFMAN - A call that started as a report of a typical fire quickly turned serious on Friday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. at Wallace Parts and Scrap in Hoffman.

The Emergency Communications Center received a call of a single vehicle fire, but as first responders arrived on the scene they found multiple fires across the property. 

A spokesman for the company stated that at some point at least 25 vehicles were all burning simultaneously.

The fire spread into the wooded area adjacent to the property, causing the N.C. Forestry Service to cut a fire lane to prevent the fire from burning more woods.

Units from Richmond and Moore Counties were called to contain the fire.

Personnel on the scene stated that over 38 containers of foam had been used on the fire with more expected to be brought from Moore County.

The last units were on the scene until almost 9:00 p.m.

Units responding were Hoffman Fire Rescue; Derby Fire Department; Hamlet Fire & Rescue; Pinebuff Fire Department; Pinehurst Fire Department; Aberdeen Fire Department; Cordova Fire & Rescue; N.C. Forestry Service; First Health Richmond EMS; and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire was being investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office as suspicious.