By Leyton Ezzell
On June 12th, 1989, a reporter named Mary Jo Walter reported on a house fire that had destroyed an apartment building in Bladenboro. According to the article, the fire was ignited in Apartment 2A of Pait’s apartments on Village Street at 3:45 PM. According to the fire department at the time, the cause was hot oil being ignited. Officials said that Joseph Watts was frying fish at the time and left the room.
During the time, residents of the building told officials that at least 15 minutes went by without the fire being reported due to the fact that nobody knew the number for Central Communications. Several Residents also tried to call the Bladenboro Police Department. However, the officer was in his patrol car. The phone is also known for being closed on Wednesday afternoons.
Once firefighters first arrived, they reported that the roof was “totally engulfed.” The fire started in Watts’ kitchen and traveled along the roof, consuming three other apartments. The other apartments involved were Jasper Lee Smith 2B; Rosie Russ 2C; and Annie B. Singletary, 2D.
The damage cost was said to be around $70,000. Much of the furniture survived. Watts was transferred to Bladen County Hospital, where he was treated for smoke inhalation.
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