RFP Staff
Update: Investigators from the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Rowan County Fire Marshal spent much of the morning inspecting the interior of the Dunbar Center attempting to learn how the fire started. Many in the East Spencer community suspect an arson may have taken place. Squatters were recently seen in the building, but no bodies were found inside this morning. In the early a.m. the building still had several hot spots. Duke Power reported that electricity was still on in the building prior to the fire.
♦ The Dunbar Center, an East Spencer Landmark which began life as an all-black segregated high school: “Dunbar High School” some 50 years ago and became the site of the former Dunbar Junior High on South Long Street, is a 5 alarm inferno at 8:45 p.m.
The night sky was filled with clouds of billowing smoke and bright flames licked through the Center’s shattered windows. This multi-alarm fire drew several area fire departments to battle this blaze and knots of onlookers strung out along South Long. Water pumped to hoses atop of extended ladders sprayed down on the blaze below.
Slowly the fire is being brought under some semblance of control. The Dunbar Center is completely lost.
The Dunbar Center fire was said to start sometime prior to 7 p.m. and spread quickly throughout Center’s buildings. At this time no one was known to be in the Center–no injuries were reported. It is not yet known at this time how the fire started. Investigators will not be able to enter the building until sometime tomorrow morning due to the current heat and smoke. At this time the firefighters are focusing on diminishing the fire’s hot spots.
The Dunbar Center was quite a loss to the East Spencer community. Several years ago it was purchased by the congregation of the Shady Grove Baptist Church and for a time it was active as a community center. More recently the Center was vacant.
The former Dunbar Center on South Long Street in East Spencer:
***This article will be updated throughout late evening and early morning hours as more becomes known***
