By Staff
Beaufort County family displaced by afternoon fire
By TED STRONG
Staff Writer
A Beaufort County family’s home was all but destroyed by fire Wednesday afternoon.
The fire was not fatal nor did it injure anyone.
Bryan Belote, owner of the house on Harbor Drive in Ridgewood development east of Washington, said the residence was unoccupied when it caught fire. His daughter discovered the fire when she came home, he said.
Belote said the family had a place to stay Wednesday night.
Chief Wes Williams with the Bunyan Volunteer Fire Department said about a third of the house was “fully involved” (burning fiercely) when the department arrived.
It took the department about half an hour to control the fire, he said. Washington’s Fire-Rescue-EMS-Inspections Department, Chocowinity Volunteer Fire Department and Broad Creek EMS also responded.
The fire reached the attic, Williams said. It also burned strongly in Belote’s study, which Belote said was where he kept his books and important papers.
The fire was hot enough to melt aluminum siding, and firefighters had to pull off large sections of a front wall to finally extinguish the blaze. There was smoke damage throughout the home, Williams said.
Cutline for corresponding photo: Firefighters battle the blaze that destroyed much of the Belote family’s house Wednesday evening. (WDN Photo/Ted Strong)