Firefighters respond to suspicious blaze
By Lee Williams
Published in News on January 14, 2007 10:44 AM
Detectives were called to investigate yet another suspicious fire that gutted a home in Wayne County early Saturday morning.
The fire broke out in a mobile home at 3885 Emmaus Church Road. Firefighters from Mount Olive, Indian Springs and Pricetown volunteer fire departments responded to battle the blaze at about 1 a.m. Wayne County deputies also responded to the fire.
Pamela Cook Strickland, 49, of Meadows Street, owned the home. However, the property had been vacant for the last four months.
Neighbor Jonathan Michael Moody, 17, and his friend were the first to spot the fire. Moody told deputies he heard what he thought were fireworks or gunshots. He looked outside and saw the front door of the home in flames.
Moody and his friend ran to the home and thought they heard someone run out the back door and into the woods. Moody first called 911 and then Ms. Strickland.
Wayne County Sheriff's Detectives Sgts. Robert Chunn and Tammy Odom and Deputy Sgt. Richard Blizzard, a shift sergeant, and Wayne County Fire Marshal Brian Taylor responded to investigate.
Wayne County sheriff's officials have responded to a rash of suspicious fires in the several months. To date no arrests have been made in the case.