Fire destroys house near downtown Raleigh; firefighter injured battling blaze

The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. at a house on Maywood Avenue, off of Fayetteville Street.

More than 40 firefighters responded to the scene, and one suffered minor injuries while battling the flames. He was taken to WakeMed for treatment.

The fire took about an hour to get under control, officials said. Smoke was seeping through the house hours later, and the roof caved in after 8 a.m.

No one was in the house when the fire broke out, officials said.

Sharon Harrison, whose family lives in the house, said she was thankful everyone was safe.

“What a way to start off the new year,” she said. “Just, thank God no one was hurt. That’s just the most important thing.”

Sommer Wisher said she was at a house nearby when she heard screams. She saw flames outside, and three people who were driving by had started banging on the door and breaking windows to see if anyone was inside. Wisher called 911. She called 911.

The house had been in Harrison's family for 30 years, she said. Photos and memorabilia were lost in the blaze.

It was not clear how the fire started.