N.C. Firefighter Hurt in Fall Through Floor at Fire

CLAYTON, N.C.

A Clayton family is homeless after their house was destroyed by fire. It happened shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday at 877 Bobbitt Road in Clayton.

The cause is unknown, but the fire marshall says there was a wood burning stove in the attic. The family says the flames in the attic never set off their smoke alarms. They were only alerted after hearing a strange noise.

"The smoke alarms were not going off. To look at the downstairs, we had no idea," Debbie Crider said.

Crider's husband opened the attic stairs to find flames.

"And he said there's a fire. Get the girls up. Get out. We've got to call 911," Crider said.

Mom and Dad quickly got their two teenage girls and another teenage foreign exchange student from Korea out of the house.

"I do believe, just, God was that good to wake my husband up, look in the attic," Crider said.

Now the Crider's are relying on their faith and the kindness of others to put their lives back together.

"People have been so generous," Crider said. "My daughter's classmate brought her some clothes so she could go to school tomorrow, and we have a bible and we have money, people have given us money."

They also had homeowner's insurance, and they say the will rebuild on the farm land that's been in the family since the 1940s.

"Yes, we will rebuild," Crider said. "This is where home is and we are thankful to be here and we will just continue."

While the family is fine, a Clayton fire fighter suffered minor injuries when he fell through a wood floor and into the basement while fighting that fire.

During mop-up operations after the fire was put out, firefighter Travis Price fell through the first floor into the basement. Because of the damage to the floor, other firefighters were not able to pull Price up through the hole, but rescuers quickly grabbed a ground ladder and pulled Price to safety through a window.

Price had a slight injury to his arm but did not require hospitalization.

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