Neighbors See Smoke, Wake Man

BY JOHN PATTERSON
SALISBURY POST

Officials from the Rowan County Sheriff's Department and the Fire Marshal's Office are still investigating the cause of a Sunday afternoon fire that destroyed a mobile home in southern Rowan.

Firefighters from four departments - Bostian Heights, South Salisbury, Rockwell Rural and Faith - found the double-wide mobile home, located at 114 Courtney Lane, engulfed in flames when they arrived around 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Neighbors called 911 after seeing smoke and flames coming from the home.

Larry Miller, who lived in the mobile home, was asleep when the fire started, according to G.I. Hinson, an arson specialist with the Sheriff's Department. Hinson said neighbors were able to wake Miller and get him out of the home before he was hurt.

"At the time the fire started, he (Miller) was asleep in front of the fireplace," Hinson said. "The fireplace was the only source of heat in the home ... but it appears the fire started on an outside wall on the home's deck."

Hinson said investigators are still trying to determine how the fire started.

Miller, who was renting the home, had apparently lived there for about a year and a half, according to Hinson.

Firefighters, who were assisted by the Rowan County Rescue Squad, were on the scene for about five hours Sunday.

Miller could not be reached for comment this morning.