A person is dead and a man is in custody for impersonating a firefighter after an overnight fire in Morganton.
The Morganton Department of Public Safety was dispatched to a home in the 200 block of Morehead Street for a structure fire around 12:10 a.m. Wednesday. Upon arrival, firefighters found the structure fully involved in fire and a man dressed in FDNY turnout gear trying to extinguish the blaze with a garden hose, according to a release from MDPS.
When they attempted to take control of the scene, the man refused to leave or let actual firefighters begin fire ground actions, the release said.
Law enforcement officers took the man, identified as 37-year-old Christopher Victor Miglino, into custody. He was charged with resist, delay obstruct a public officer, impersonating a firefighter/medical personnel and a city ordinance violation for failure to obey fire personnel, the release said.
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With Miglino in custody, fire suppression efforts commenced, another MDPS release said.
A secondary search discovered a body inside the home, said MDPS Chief Jason Whisnant. It’s believed the person died as a result of the fire.
The identity has not been released.
The structure, a condominium, was destroyed by the fire, Whisnant said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.