GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Four people were hospitalized and approximately 50 residents were displaced after a structure fire on Keller Way Drive Saturday afternoon that required a multi-agency response and dramatic rescues from upper floors.

The Goldsboro Fire Department received the initial call at 1:59 p.m. on August 31, with the first unit arriving on scene at 2:04 p.m. to find smoke and flames visible from the building. Firefighters immediately called for additional resources as the situation escalated.

“Ground ladders were utilized to rescue multiple occupants from upper floors,” according to a statement from the Goldsboro Fire Department. The four individuals rescued were transported to UNC Health Wayne by Wayne County EMS for evaluation and treatment. Their current conditions were not immediately available.

The response involved a coordinated effort from multiple agencies, including the Rosewood, Little River, and Oakland Volunteer Fire Departments, Wayne County EMS, Goldsboro Police Department, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. Additional volunteer fire departments from Mar-Mac, Belfast, Elroy, and New Hope provided mutual aid and covered other emergency calls throughout the city during the incident.

Firefighters battled the blaze for more than two and a half hours before bringing it under control at approximately 4:33 p.m.

A joint investigation by the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has determined the fire was accidental in nature. No further details about the cause have been released.

The American Red Cross has been activated to assist the approximately 50 individuals displaced by the fire, providing emergency shelter, food, clothing, and other essential services.