Pets perish in house fire

May 26—LENOIR — Two dogs, a cat, and a bird perished in a house fire Tuesday afternoon.

Lenoir resident Lisa Price said she had stepped out of her house that morning when she noticed smoke coming out of a house down the road. She ran to the scene and saw that Lenoir firefighters were already there attempting to put out the fire that started around 11 a.m. at Laurel Place NW in Lenoir.

"Huge billows of smoke were coming from the back of the house, and I could see some flames through the trees," she said. "The Lenoir Fire Department did a great job at controlling the fire to the one home, as there was lots of foliage and other homes and fences extremely close by."

According to Lenoir Assistant Fire Chief Chris Jacobs, no one was home at the time of the fire. Sadly, however, the family's pets all perished in the blaze.

Jacobs explained that firefighters had to use chainsaws to cut into the side of the house in order to release the super heated gases and create an entry into the house.

While firefighters are still investigating the cause of the fire, Jacobs suggested that the cause will be ruled "undetermined but leaning toward electrical" with a focus on the refrigerator and other appliances in the kitchen.

"When a fire like that happens, people don't think about what all you're going to lose," said Jacobs. "Clothes, animals. It's a tough thing to go through. I've been through it before, so I understand what they're going through. It tugs at your heart."

He advises residents to educate themselves on fire awareness. There are websites available like that discuss fire hazards in the home. Additionally, it is crucial that residents familiarize themselves with their insurance policies and coverage.

Responding to the fire were firefighters from Lenoir and Valmead as well as Caldwell County EMS.