Brown Road house destroyed by fire; no injuries reported

Published 6:03 pm Wednesday, August 14, 2019

MOUNT ULLA — A Mount Ulla home was destroyed by fire Wednesday after a neighbor and area firefighter spotted smoke and flames coming from the Brown Road residence.

Fire officials initially believed the owner was at home but verified with family members that she was in nearby Mooresville.

The fire, which occurred at 3155 Brown Road just off Graham Road, was called in at 9:45 a.m.

Firefighters doused the house with water, shuttling water from a fire hydrant to a collection tank and then feeding it through a hose.

“All the stations responded and immediately started putting water on the fire,” said Rowan County Fire Division Chief Deborah Horne.

She said a large number of firefighters responded because of the heat. They were given frequent breaks so they could rehydrate.

There was likely some delay in reporting the fire because the house sits far off the road and it may not have been noticed immediately, Horne sad.

Agencies that responded to the fire include the Woodleaf, Cleveland, Locke, Franklin, West Rowan, and Atwell fire departments; Shepherds Volunteer Fire Department of Mooresville; the Rowan County Rescue Squad; Rowan Fire Marshal’s Office; and Salisbury-Rowan Hazmat.

A Cleveland firetruck was involved in a collision while en route to the fire, causing significant damage to the front of the truck and damage to a tractor-trailer. The firetruck and a tractor-trailer collided on U.S. 70 near Third Creek Church Road. No injuries were reported.

The N.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.