Fire guts Seven Oaks home
by Kellen Moore
A home in the Seven Oaks neighborhood in Boone was heavily
damaged in a fire Monday night.
Homeowners Terri and Mark Lockwood returned to the home at 887 Seven Oaks Road shortly after 8:15 p.m., opened the door and saw the house filled with smoke, Terri Lockwood said.
Within minutes, flames were shooting through the roof.
About 30 firefighters from Boone, Blowing Rock, Deep Gap and Meat Camp responded to the scene and were able to control the fire by 9:15 p.m., said Capt. Mike Teague of the Boone Fire Department.
"We had a well-involved structure fire, so we ended up pulling larger lines," Teague said.
Teague said the family had been at home cooking dinner earlier in the evening when a power outage occurred throughout the neighborhood. They finished eating and left the house, not realizing that the stove dials were still on, Teague said.
When the power returned, pans on the stove overheated and caused the oils to ignite, causing a fire that spread into the kitchen, he said.
"Cooking is now moving into the number one cause of structure fires nationwide and locally," said Teague, who reminded homeowners to take extra precautions when cooking. "What happened here could easily happen to anyone."
Lockwood said no one was hurt in the blaze and that the house was insured. She said they planned to stay with family in the area until another living arrangement could be found.
The fire department estimated that the fire caused more than $300,000 in damage to the home and contents, Teague said. Despite the severe damage, some photos and mementos were spared, he said.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the estimated damage to the home. The story has been corrected.
Homeowners Terri and Mark Lockwood returned to the home at 887 Seven Oaks Road shortly after 8:15 p.m., opened the door and saw the house filled with smoke, Terri Lockwood said.
Within minutes, flames were shooting through the roof.
About 30 firefighters from Boone, Blowing Rock, Deep Gap and Meat Camp responded to the scene and were able to control the fire by 9:15 p.m., said Capt. Mike Teague of the Boone Fire Department.
"We had a well-involved structure fire, so we ended up pulling larger lines," Teague said.
Teague said the family had been at home cooking dinner earlier in the evening when a power outage occurred throughout the neighborhood. They finished eating and left the house, not realizing that the stove dials were still on, Teague said.
When the power returned, pans on the stove overheated and caused the oils to ignite, causing a fire that spread into the kitchen, he said.
"Cooking is now moving into the number one cause of structure fires nationwide and locally," said Teague, who reminded homeowners to take extra precautions when cooking. "What happened here could easily happen to anyone."
Lockwood said no one was hurt in the blaze and that the house was insured. She said they planned to stay with family in the area until another living arrangement could be found.
The fire department estimated that the fire caused more than $300,000 in damage to the home and contents, Teague said. Despite the severe damage, some photos and mementos were spared, he said.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the estimated damage to the home. The story has been corrected.