Lumberton firefighters respond to Village Station fire; no one injured

Aug. 3—LUMBERTON — No one was injured during a fire that erupted Tuesday at the old Village Station restaurant on Roberts Avenue, the City of Lumberton Fire Department confirmed Wednesday.

Fire department personnel still were at the scene Wednesday morning extinguishing hot spots and preparing to begin an investigation into the fire's origin, according to Lumberton Fire Chief Chris West.

"We ask that bystanders remain clear of the scene and away from the structure to reduce interference with suppression and investigation operations," West wrote in a statement.

The Lumberton Fire Department was dispatched to a "working structure fire" at 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, according to a release from West. At 6:08 p.m. firefighters arrived on location at the vacant commercial structure that once housed Village Station Restaurant and began fire suppression operations.

Crews performed a rapid interior search for victims and encountered heavy interior fire conditions. Because of the heavy fire load and roof instability, tactics were changed to a defensive operation at 6:27 p.m. to mitigate fire spread and protect exposures.

Lumberton Police Department personnel diverted traffic in the Kahn Drive and Roberts Avenue areas to minimize secondary incidents during the initial period of firefighting operations. Cookout, a neighboring business, also was forced to close.

Kahn Drive and Roberts Avenue have been cleared and there are no barriers impeding traffic flow, according to West.

Village Station was a Lumberton staple for more than 40 years. The restaurant's owner, Arnold West, announced its closure in 2021.

Anyone with information related to the cause of the fire that may assist fire investigators are asked to contact the Lumberton Fire Department Administration Division at 910-671-3860 or the Lumberton Police Department Detective Division at 910-671-3850.

The Robesonian will update this story as more information becomes available.