At least one person was seriously injured early this morning in an apparent explosion at a Chadbourn motel.
Witnesses said Mayor Phillip Britt and his wife, Councilwoman Shannon Britt, treated the injured person while waiting for first responders. The Britts are both paramedics. Mayor Britt also helped firefighters try to suppress the blaze. the Britts live near the hotel.
The 4:30 a.m. blast at the Budget Inn sent debris flying for blocks. A door from the building was found near the NAPA store, 89 feet away.
Multiple fire departments are on the scene.
Britt said Mrs. Britt was up and he was getting out of bed when the explosion occurred.
“It shook the clock off my nightstand,” he said.
The couple ran outside as the fire started. Both were concerned about a large propane tank that was in danger of igniting. They immediately jumped in to help.
Policeman Jonathan Driggers entered the burning building to rescue the injured man, Britt said.
Mrs. Britt and a policeman handled a firehouse behind the burning building while Mayor Britt and the fire chief attacked the front.
“That LP tank was a major hazard,” he said.
The couple shifted over to assisting the injured resident as more firefighters arrived. The victim sustained serious burns, Britt said. He was later airlifted to a burn unit.
The fire immediately after the explosion wasn’t large but it quickly escalated, Britt said.
Two buildings at the motel are heavily damaged, Britt said.
The extended stay motel has been the scene of multiple criminal calls in recent years, including reports of assault, drug use and other activity.
Police Chief Ken Elliot said along N.C. 410 between Strawberry Boulevard and town hall has been restored tp normal.
We will have more online as it becomes available.
