Fire probe rules out foul play

Published 12:31 pm Thursday, October 29, 2009

AHOSKIE – The Ahoskie Police Department has ruled out arson in a residential fire that destroyed a single-wide mobile home here last week.

APD Lt. Detective Jeremy Roberts performed an investigation of the fire, which occurred Oct. 20 at 252 NC 561 East.

“I’m still in the process of finalizing my report, but from all indications I believe this fire was electrical in nature,” Roberts said. “No evidence was found that would lead me to believe the fire was cause intentionally.”

Four units of the Ahoskie Rural Fire Department responded to the scene. The home, owned by Morgan Watford, was fully engulfed upon arrival of the firefighters.

“We were unable to tell where the fire originated, but we did note that the bulk of the flames visible upon our arrival were in the middle of the mobile home,” Ahoskie Rural Fire Chief Michael Bradley said.

Chief Bradley said to his knowledge there was no one inside the home at the time of the fire.

The 18 Ahoskie Rural firefighters responding to the blaze were on the scene for two hours.

Bradley said Ahoskie Police and Hertford County Sheriff’s deputies provided traffic control. Hertford County EMS also responded to the scene.

No injuries were reported.