Suspicious Haw River fire damages Stone Street overpass, bridge platform

Flames damaged the Stone Street overpass and bridge platform in Haw River late Monday, cutting through a rail corridor that local residents and motorists use as a key crossing and forcing crews to shut down the railroad while they worked to control the fire.

Haw River Fire Department Chief Garrett Lewis said the blaze started about 10:30 p.m., while WFMY News 2 placed the call closer to 10:40 p.m. Firefighters found the elevated bridge platform over the railroad tracks burning, along with a confined portion of the mill on the second story. No one was hurt.

Lewis described the fire as suspicious, and the investigation remained open as crews worked to determine how the blaze began and whether the overpass suffered structural damage beyond the visible charring. The immediate concern was preventing the flames from spreading farther into the bridge structure or creating a larger hazard beneath the tracks.

The railroad shutdown added another layer of disruption to the fire response. Even limited damage to a bridge overpass can trigger inspections, slow traffic and lead to costly repairs if the structure itself was compromised. For Haw River, where one fire can affect both a vacant mill site and a transportation link, the incident carried consequences beyond the burned area.

The fire also hit a stretch of town with deep rail and mill history. Haw River’s development was tied to the North Carolina Railroad, and in 1849 Benjamin Trollinger built a railroad bridge over the Haw River at his own expense to secure the line through the mill town. The Granite-Cora-Holt Mills Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 2020, reflects that legacy on the east side of the river.

The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office describes the district as three functionally related textile plants on the Haw River’s east side. In a town shaped by rail infrastructure, old mill buildings and the crossings that connect them, the damaged Stone Street overpass now stands as both a fire scene and a public works concern.

The Alamance County Fire Marshal’s Office says its mission includes fire investigation, prevention and fire-service support, underscoring the broader inquiry that often follows a suspicious fire involving a bridge, tracks and a historic industrial site.