DUNN, N.C. (WNCN) – You can’t miss the charcoaled wood, rusted metal, and smell of smoke still lingering off of Holly Grove Road in Dunn.
Maddy Fondren pointed to what’s left of her dad’s auto shop after a fire engulfed the building nearly a week ago. She said, “It was his entire life… He basically lost everything.”
The 16-year-old said she was the first to dial 911.
“We went in the house for maybe 20 minutes and the entire side of the shop was in flames. There was nothing we could have done… Call 911, get the animals out of the houses, and pray.”
John Phillips said he and Maddy’s dad, Bryan Fondren, became close friends after sharing a love for fast cars and drag racing. He said Bryan grew up working on cars and worked out of the shop in Dunn for nearly 20 years. Phillips said years of hard work were destroyed in minutes.
“Not only did he let us after-hours work on all of our stuff as a racecar hub, but this is how he made his living,” Phillips said. He continued, “It’s just devastating when you have this type of destruction when you’re on the ground afterward, it’s just horrible. It’s heartbreaking.”