Second fire in 7 months for family

By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

A family watched early Friday as everything they owned went up in flames for the second time in seven months.

And without insurance to replace their home and possessions this time, the family members don't know what they're going to do.

Bostian Heights firefighters responded to the call around 4:30 a.m. at 1150 Teakwood Trail off Phaniels Church Road, near the Rowan-Cabarrus line.

They saw flames coming through the roof of the doublewide mobile home, Bostian Heights Chief Mike Zimmerman said.

Violet Minor, her husband, Donald, sister Jessica Cutlip, and two children, Justin Pilkington and Heather Morgan, escaped the home as smoke and fire went through the roof.

Violet Minor said late Friday the family had struggled to get back on its feet after a fire last year.

Her husband was working part time. "It was a choice of paying insurance or buying groceries," Minor said.

Early Friday morning, she was unable to sleep and had gotten up to watch the movie "Aliens."

"I heard what sounded like rain on a tin roof. We didn't have a tin roof," she said.

She got up, went outside and saw smoke rolling off the roof.

She called 911 and woke everybody to get them out of the house. She had to yank her son Justin — a sound sleeper — out of bed.

Friday afternoon, Minor was still struggling to figure out what to do now.

"Twice in seven months É at this point ... oh my God, I can't do this anymore," she said. "Not again."

Anyone wanting to assist the Minor family with donations of furniture, clothes or household goods may contact Minor at 704-202-3121.

Money to help the family can be sent to the Elizabeth Hanford Dole chapter of the American Red Cross, 1930 Jake Alexander Blvd. W., Salisbury, NC 28147. The Red Cross also provided assistance to the family at the fire scene.

Zimmerman, the Bostian Heights fire chief, recalled the blaze that destroyed the family's home last year. The family was not at home. The original fire call was a report of smoke.

Zimmerman said the family used insurance money to buy a repossessed doublewide which had many electrical problems.

The heating system in the mobile home didn't work and the family was using three electric heaters.

The Rowan County Fire Marshal's Office is conducting an investigation.

The doublewide was totally gutted.

In addition to the flames, firefighters had to deal with the effects of recent weather. They and their equipment quickly became mired in deep mud due to the repeated snows and rains.

One tanker got stuck in mud to the axles, requiring a wrecker service to free it. Zimmerman said the mud made it difficult for firemen to walk as their boots stuck.

He said those difficulties didn't slow the effort to control the fire.

Faith, Locke, Rockwell Rural and Rockwell City assisted, along with the Rowan County Rescue Squad.