Three firefighters injured in Harnett County factory fire

Emergency crews responded to the building, an old Champion mobile home manufacturing plant on Jim Christian Road in Lillington, at about 8:30 p.m.

Neighbors said there was a loud boom and large flames coming from the plant, which was storing wood pallets.

Fire officials said every fire department in Harnett County was called to help extinguish the fire. Crews from Cumberland, Lee and Wake counties were also called to help.

Firefighters had trouble accessing water near the plant, and they used several tankers to transport water from about a mile away. They also used water from a nearby pond.

Two of the injured firefighters were treated at a nearby hospital and released, while the third suffered minor injuries.

Crews were still battling hot spots Friday afternoon, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Summerville Assistant Fire Chief Bodie Currin said the fire was difficult to fight.

"It's very tough. They'll be tired and they'll be tired for a while," he said. "Lot of pressure pulling hoses and a lot of heat. It's a tough job."

Neighbor Randal Eymer lives near the plant.

"The scary thing about it was my dad and my kids were, an hour before, they were everywhere riding their bikes and my kids are 5 years old," she said. "What if it would have happened an hour earlier? That plant was full of wood and sawdust, so it was just waiting to go up in flames."