Firefighters and first responders from more than 10 area agencies worked to extinguish a house fire in southern Pitt County that started in a garage/woodshop behind the structure, officials said.
Crews were called just before 8 p.m. last Saturday to 1776 Doolittle Court, which is located off of County Home Road near the South Oak Aerodrome east of Ayden.
The detached garage was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. It generated enough heat and flame to ignite the home nearby, said Tony Smart, fire marshal of the Winterville Fire Department.
The couple who owns the home, Felecia and Chris Langley, were out when the fire started, according to a Go Fund Me effort to raise money on their behalf. Firefighters and neighbors were able to rescue their dogs. No one was injured by the fire or during the effort to put it out, officials said.
The intensity of the fire and the warm temperatures and humidity Saturday — it was still over 80 degrees as crews worked the fire — required a large response, Smart said.
“It was so hot everybody was giving out,” Smart said.
Firefighters had to endure extreme heat generated from the fire coupled with summer weather and the turnout gear they wear to protect themselves, Smart said.
A large contingent of firefighters — Smart estimated at least 50 — rotated in crews to extinguish the fire while others rested. The majority of those crews are volunteers, he said.
“It took a remarkable amount of resources to keep everybody hydrated,” he said.
Crews worked several hours to control the fire and remained on the scene until about 1 a.m.
The home, which was located in the Ayden Fire Department district, sustained extensive damage. Pitt County tax records indicate it was built in 2020 and was nearly 3,000 square feet. The cause remained under investigation as of Monday.
Ayden was the primary responder, Smart said. Other agencies on the scene included the Town of Winterville, Winterville Community, Red Oak, Grifton, Eastern Pines, Black Jack, Gardnerville, Hugo and Staton House.
Winterville, Ayden and Pitt County EMS also responded. Units also had to be redistributed to cover for stations engaged in the house fire, officials said.
“Excellent display of teamwork on Saturday night!” the Winterville Community Fire Department said on its Facebook Page. “EMS ensured firefighters were taken care of in the extreme heat, Pitt County 911 did an amazing job of getting the right resources to the scene (and backfilling for coverage), Pitt County sheriff provided traffic control, and at the end of the day, everyone went home to their families!”
A second structure fire occurred in Farmville about the same time as the one near Ayden, Pitt County Fire Marshal Jay Morris said. Farmville, Fountain Bell Aruther and Red Oak responded to the incident at 3476 S. Fields St. at 8:42 p.m. along with Pitt County EMS.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the 90s through the week, with highs on Wednesday at 97, the National Weather Service reported. Chances of rain are mostly low, with the greatest likelihood on Thursday at 60 percent.
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