A woman died and a child was critically injured on Monday in a fire at an apartment located along the 6400 block of Yadkin Road in Fayetteville.
Firefighters pulled a woman and a child out from the fire, and they were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
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The woman, later identified as 35-year-old Porsha Quarles, died from her injuries. The child, identified as a 1-year-old girl, is in critical condition.
According to Broadcastify radio traffic, a neighbor reported seeing smoke coming from the apartment, and one person was found an a second-floor bedroom.
Latanya Battle, a close friend of Quarles, said she “was an absolute sweetheart.”
“We met in the neighborhood,” said Battle. “She would give me the shirt off her back.”
According to Battle, Quarles had struggled with depression, but was working hard to get her life in order for her daughter.
“She was just trying to get it right this go-round,” said Battle. “She loved that baby.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call Fayetteville police at 910-322-7046.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Fayetteville / Cumberland County Crime Stoppers by calling 910-483-8477 (TIPS) or by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org and completing the anonymous online tip sheet, or by downloading the FREE “P3 Tips” app.