N.C. Fire Destroys $300K Car, Garage, Pool House

March 01--A fire that gutted a garage, destroyed a classic car and heavily damaged the rest of the house in the Kingsford neighborhood was accidental, firefighters said.

The house at 3677 Glenbarry Circle is owned by Keith and Kim Allison.

Keith Allison said they planned to use it as an extension of their home next door, at the corner of Harlow Drive, and use it as a pool house.

While no one lived in the house, Allison said his 2006 Aston Martin Vanquish sports car, valued at about $300,000, was destroyed, as was his Honda Nighthawk motorcycle and some family photos.

The fire sent plumes of smoke into the sky that were visible from South McPherson Church Road and the All American Freeway.

The fire was called in by a neighbor at 7:40 a.m., just as firefighters at the station on Cliffdale Road were changing shifts, said Battalion Chief Kevin Morgan.

There's only a wooded area between the station and Glenbarry Place, Morgan said.

"The guys who were coming on duty brought the trucks, but the guys who were getting off ran through the woods to help," Morgan said.

Both arrived at the same time, he said.

That helped speed up firefighting efforts, Morgan said, by having one group of firefighters unload and connect a 5-inch hose while others began attacking the blaze.

No damage estimate was immediately available.

Battalion Commander Ron Lewis said the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation but there are no signs of foul play and has been ruled unintentional, he said.

Copyright 2012 - The Fayetteville Observer, N.C.