By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
Fire destroyed a home in Plantation Ridge early Saturday while the homeowner was out of town.
Fire officials estimated damage to the Brenda Fore home at 310 Timberwolf Trail at more than $250,000.
A neighbor called 911 to report the fire shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday.
When Franklin firefighters arrived, the house was fully ablaze, according to Chief John Thomason.
Firefighters didn’t attempt to enter the structure because of the severity of the fire.
Firefighters got help from several other fire departments as well as the weather. There was heavy rain as firefighters battled the blaze. Woodleaf, Locke, Jerusalem and Ellis Cross Country also responded to the fire.
Nothing was salvaged from the house.
Firefighters, who were originally told the owner had dogs, checked through the debris, but found no sign of any pets in the house.
Thomason said the Rowan County Fire Marshal’s Office and insurance investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire.
Thomason said a neighbor was able to provide a phone number for Fore, who was visiting her parents in Asheville.