GASTONIA, NC (WBTV) -
Firefighters in Gastonia are investigating an overnight warehouse fire they have ruled as arson.
That's the cause of an overnight fire that did around $60,000 in damage to a building left vacant for well over a year in Gaston County.
Around 11 p.m. Monday night, firefighters received a call from workers at a nearby business that they could see smoke and flames pouring out of the windows of a building located at 1541 Delta Drive just off of Interstate 85.
Emergency personnel raced to the scene, made entry, and were shocked at what they found.
"We could tell it was a fire set in multiple locations, and it put us on edge." said Fire Chief Kerr Foy.
The fire department said several incendiary devices were found throughout the building, meant to burn the structure to the ground.
According to Foy, whoever did this, has most likely done this kind of thing before.
Of the dozen or so separate places where flames first started, only a handful were actually a problem for firefighters to put out.
The remainder were quickly brought under control. Because of that, much of the scene was preserved for investigators. A luxury they rarely get.
In total, three rooms were heavily damaged with fire, several others had smoke related problems.
Crews said arson is one of the hardest crimes to get a conviction on. They're hopeful with all the evidence collected on scene, they may be able to get someone behind bars.
Copyright 2012 WBTV. All Rights Reserved.
