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Published: Friday, Feb. 08, 2013 / Updated: Thursday, Feb. 07, 2013 12:02 PM

Fire burns River Hills condo, displaces family

LAKE WYLIE -- 

Two families were displaced after fire destroyed a condominium and left another with minor damage in Lake Wylie's gated River Hills community early Thursday.

Firefighters were called to 21 Longbow Court in reference to flames around 12:45 a.m., said Lt. Cory Cronin with the Bethel Volunteer Fire Department. The Clover Fire Department and Steele Creek Volunteer Fire Department also responded.

When crews arrived on the scene, they found fire burning through the roof of a three-story condominium, said Bethel Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Laws. The fire also began spreading to the neighboring condo, burning into the family's attic.

Crews attacked the fire from the exterior, before they went inside and held back the flames, Laws said, eventually stopping the blaze "dead in its tracks."

By the time the flames were quenched, much of the first condo's interior was gone, save one room firefighters manage to salvage, Laws said.

The fire started in the basement of the first condo, Laws said, displacing a teenager and his mother. The American Red Cross was called to assist them and the other family, whose condo suffered significant smoke damage.

Crews stayed on scene for six hours, Laws said. No injuries were reported.