Family not sure what started blaze on Daniels Street

Todd Wetherington | Daily Herald Members of the Roanoke Rapids Fire Department work to contain a house fire at 1915 Daniels St., Friday afternoon. Advertisement

Lance Martin, Herald Senior Staff Writer

ROANOKE RAPIDS - Firefighters are still trying to pinpoint the cause of a fire that gutted a house at 1915 Daniels St. Friday afternoon.

The two-alarm blaze, which was reported at 3:37 p.m., was finally brought under control around 5:45 p.m., Chief Gary Corbet said Saturday. At least three residents were at home at the time and no one was injured.

Seven off-duty firefighters were summoned to the scene around 3:30 p.m. Corbet said fire was coming out of the front and back doors when he arrived.

Construction of the wood-frame house hampered firefighting efforts when it was discovered two rooms were added on in the attic. Instead of being able to ventilate the fire through the upstairs window, which was blocked by a wall due to the attic addition, firefighters had to fight the fire from two sides of the house.

Fire burned the floor 3 feet inside the back door and firefighters couldn't get to the second floor as the fire destroyed the stairs leading to the attic.

The wall upstairs was tongue-and-groove hardwood, instead of sheetrock, and forced firefighters to use a saw to cut through it instead of being able to smash through it with poles or axes, Corbet said.

Ownership of the house remained unclear Saturday, Corbet said.

Paula Peffer, who has lived in the house since 1972, was in hysterics and was comforted by friends and neighbors as she watched the flames destroy her belongings inside the house and columns of thick smoke rise into the air from the roof and windows.

She said she didn't know how the fire started. Her son said he didn't know, either, and added that he was trying to sleep at the time.

Corbet said the family told him they were having trouble with one of the outlets for several weeks.

Flames licked the branches of trees around the house and the inside of the structure glowed from the flames, which destroyed belongings and compromised the tin roof of the structure.

Firefighters had to use the ladder truck to battle the fire because the roof was unsafe, Corbet said.

Nine on-duty firefighters along with four administrative staff and seven off-duty firefighters responded to the blaze.

Three firefighters were sent back to cover other calls and Davie Volunteer Fire Department was on stand-by to assist the three firefighters sent back to the station.