Community steps up after massive fire guts family-owned furniture business in Stanly County

STANFIELD, N.C. — A large furniture shop erupted in flames, destroying the building Friday afternoon in Stanly County.

Chopper 9 Skyzoom got to the scene in Stanfield where Morgan Chair on Sunset Lake Road West, off Highway 200, was engulfed in flames.

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Black smoke could be seen for miles and by nightfall, the building was reduced to ashes.

With smoke still coming from the rubble, the community wasted no time in helping the owners.

Jesse Morgan’s father started the furniture and upholstery company in the 1980s. Morgan Chair grew, expanded and moved into the building in 2012.

“Man, this is family business,” owner Jesse Morgan said. “I’m second generation. Third generation son is over there watching it burn as well. It’s tough.”

The Allen family owns the property and leased it to the Morgans.

Ramsey Allen’s grandfather built it.

“(In) 1961 but the rafters and all the timber in that building were 100 years old when grandpa put them in there,” Allen said. “It’s very sad to us. It’s a historical monument -- gone.”

Firefighters got the call around 3:38 p.m.

Several area agencies responded to the blaze.

The structure was about 25% destroyed at that point but firefighters knew they had an uphill battle.

Tyler Huntley, the assistant chief with the West Stanly Fire Department, said water pressure in the area and manpower issues burdened the firefighters’ efforts in stopping the flames from spreading.

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“Out here in rural areas where there are not a lot of hydrants, there is not a lot of water pressure,” Huntley said. “This is something that we know is a possibility and we train on it. It just takes a bit to get set up though -- that we weren’t able to get a good water supply.”

The structure is considered a complete loss, but the Allen’s main concern is their friends.

“They are good friends of ours,” Allen said about the Morgans. “I really hate this happened.”

Both families are pillars of the community, and the community has already rallied around them.

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“It’s already been a few hours into this, but the community has already reached out and put their arms around me,” Morgan said. “I’ve had multiple offers of places to move my shop too.”

One employee was at Morgan Chair at the time and firefighters said that thankfully, no one was hurt.

The cause is under investigation.

Return to this story for updates.