Family loses home to fire on Merrywood Drive
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on January 4, 2018 2:53 PM
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A family is without a home after their mobile home at 114 Merrywood Drive was engulfed by flames late Thursday morning.
Lori Tripp said she was in bed and began waking up when she felt it getting warmer than usual around her.
"I saw flames and yelled for my husband to call 911," Lori said.
Her husband, Chadwick, said he was able to get everyone out of the house safely and also the family's dog.
Chadwick said he opened the back door to help ventilate everything, and then everybody escaped the blaze through the front door of the home.
Little River Fire Chief Tim Aycock said he was the first one on the scene and arrived to find the home engulfed by a rolling blaze.
Aycock said there were already holes burnt in the side of the mobile home and the wind was blowing the flames up toward the trees surrounding the home.
Aycock added firefighters believed the cause of the fire could be a space heater.
The Tripps said they would likely be going to stay with Lori's mother.
Snow coated the ground from the overnight storm that pummeled Wayne County while firefighters from Little River, Rosewood and Belfast worked to battle the blaze.
Various neighbors, bundled in coats and scarves, walked over to comfort the Tripps as they watched their home smolder.
Some neighbors brought over blankets and other items to offer to the family in need.
A chaplain with the Rosewood Fire Department formed a huddle with the Tripps and several other people to pray for them while smoke still rolled out of their mobile home from the fire.
Aycock said the Red Cross would be called to help the family, and Rosewood's chaplain was in touch with a local church to see if the church could offer any help.
Wayne County EMS and the Goldsboro Police Department also responded to the scene.