Second McCall's fire called 'suspicious'
By John Joyce
Published in News on February 23, 2015 1:46 PM
A second fire in the barbecue pit at McCall's Bar-B-Q & Seafood Saturday has been deemed suspicious, according to a Goldsboro police report.
Firefighters were called back to the seen hours after the first fire, which took place ahead of the lunch rush.
More than two dozen firefighters from Goldsboro Fire Department and from El-Roy Volunteer Fire Department spent several hours tearing apart the ceiling and roof of the outbuilding behind McCall's, 139 Miller's Chapel Road, which houses the barbecue pits. The fire started in one of the pits and then spread through the roof causing more than $10,000 in damage.
Firefighters contained the blaze, and no one was injured.
Hours later, at 6 p.m., Goldsboro's Engine 5 was called back to McCall's to a small fire in the corner of the same building.
Goldsboro Assistant Fire Chief Eric Lancaster said he was not working that day, but that he had spoken with the captain at Station 5 whose crew handled the second call.
Lancaster said firefighters thought they were being called out to a rekindle, a fire that had been put out but started back up from smoldering remnants.
That was not what they found.
According to the fire report, two to three bags of charcoal had been placed in the corner of the building and that the fire was intentionally set.
Firefighters spoke to the manager on duty who said no one was supposed to be in that building following the fire earlier in the day, the report said. He also said security camera footage would be reviewed.
Goldsboro police were later contacted and a report taken, but the investigation is listed as inactive.
The Goldsboro Police Department declined to answer questions over the phone this morning. Despite the police report listing the investigation as inactive, the following response was sent via email: "The incident is being looked into, nothing further to release at this time."
The restaurant will open as usual today, officials said.