The Johnston County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the cause of a noontime fire January 20th that destroyed a home on White Memorial Church Road. The Johnston County 911 Center received a call reporting a house fire with explosions at the address.
The 50-210, Elevation and West Johnston Fire Departments responded and found the home engulfed in flames. Crews brought the fire under control while also dealing with strong winds that intensified and helped the fire spread.
One adult and two children were inside the home and escaped without injury. Deputy Fire Marshal Ryan Parker credited working smoke alarms with alerting the occupants.
Parker said the fire was determined to be accidental and caused by an electrical failure in a surge protector located on the back porch. The explosions reported were determined to be a ruptured LP gas tank stored on the back porch.
The Red Cross responded and assisted five adults and three children who were displaced by the fire. Parker said the incident was a good example of how working smoke detectors can save lives.
