Six hospitalized after Cary nursing home fire

Fire crews were dispatched to Cary Health and Rehab Center, at 6590 Tryon Road, shortly after 3:30 p.m. Three patients and three staff members were taken to WakeMed and other area hospitals to be treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation.

Many family members of patients rushed to the center to check on loved ones once they heard about the fire.

"A friend called us... she was driving by on Tryon Road and said she saw a whole bunch of fire trucks and everything out in front of Cary Rehab and thought of us," said Douglas Withington. "We tried to call the rehab center and of course, no one answered and so we just got in the car and came over to see what was going on."

The center's 105 patients were all evacuated, authorities said, but had returned to the facility by Saturday night.

Because of extreme temperatures, crews set up tents and water coolers to help keep firefighters and evacuees safe from heat-related illness.

The fire started in or near a patient's bed, fire crews said. It wasn't clear what sparked the blaze.