Fire destroys home, claims family pet

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
ROCKWELL ó A Wednesday fire destroyed a home and killed a family’s pet.
The fire occurred at 800 Hilbert Road, not far from Shive Elementary School.
Colton Hall and Ashley Yost had just moved into the home a month ago with friend Candace Gelvin and her son, Josh Thrift.
Hall said he was outside splitting wood when Thrift came to him saying his bed was on fire.
Hall had just enough time to get everyone out of the house safely.
“I tried to go back in, like, three different times to get her out,” he said of the family’s border collie, Dixie. But Hall could not rescue the dog.
The home was old, Hall said, and they’d been having some problems with fuses popping.
He speculated an outlet near the bed sparked and caught the bed on fire.
Fire officials said it was too soon to determine an exact cause Wednesday afternoon.
Though firefighters worked to put out the blaze, it destroyed the house and the residents lost everything.
Hall said the fire had completely engulfed the house and he couldn’t even attempt to save any of their belongings.
Hall said Gelvin and her son had lived at the house for some time.
The Rockwell City, Rockwell Rural, Bostian Heights and Gold Hill fire departments responded to the fire. The Rockwell Police Department also assisted.
The fire rekindled Wednesday night.Contact Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.