Shortly after 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 25, a passing motorist on Sykes Road in Nash County, N.C. saw smoke and flames coming from a one-story ranch house, and called 911.
Fire departments from Castalia, Nashville and Red Oak along with Nash County EMS Unit were dispatched.
Crews attempted an aggressive interior attack but were driven back. They were forced to make an exterior attack.
There were extremely high winds which added to the fast spread of the fire.
With no nearby hydrants, fire tenders were used to transport water to the fire ground.
The residents were not home at the time, and firefighters were able to remove the family pets.
It took crews over one hour to control the blaze.
The fire is being investigated by the Nash County Fire Marshal's office. They believe that the fire was started by a heat lamp on the front porch. The entire dwelling was destroyed.
