Serious Fire in Statesville Business Section, March 31, 1926

Statesville Fire Threatens Large Business Section. . . Blaze Started About 10:30 This Morning and Was Reported Burning at Furious Rate at Noon. . . Furniture Lies in Fire’s Path. . . Lumber of One Concern Already Burned and If Winds Shifts, Another Property May be Burned

Statesville, March 31 (AP)—Fire starting about 10:30 o’clock in the Diamond Hill section of this city has been burning at a furious rate. From the fertilizer house it spread to stacks of lumber nearby. A high wind has been blowing since the fire started, and more than a million feet of lumber and four industrial plants are in jeopardy should the wind shift its course toward these plants. All available fire fighting forces have been fighting hard since the fire started, but for lack of sufficient water facilities, little headway had been made toward extinguishing the flames.

So far only the lumber owned by Hutton & Bourbonnais is affected. The fire rages near a big pile owned by the Morrison Manufacturing Company. About $60,000 is the estimated value of the lumber already burned and that in danger.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Wednesday, March 31, 1926

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-03-31/ed-1/seq-1/