‘So thankful’: Escape plan saves family of 9 from house fire

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A Rowan County family credits their fire escape plan for getting all nine members out of their burning home safely.

Crews were called to a three-story home just after 5 a.m. Saturday along Mount Vernon Road, just off Cool Springs Road in the northwestern part of the county.

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Heather Bowers told Channel nine her family evacuated the three-story house to the playground after they noticed smoke in their home.

“Our oldest, he’s 16,” she said. “He grabbed our three-year-old out of the bed, and I grabbed the baby and then my husband grabbed her car seat and diaper bag.”

Bowers taught her kids at a young age to get out and meet at the family playground.

“My husband would do drills,” she said. “He would do the alarms and (ask), ‘What are you supposed to do?’ And they knew what to do. So having that plan in place is important.”

Bowers said they were able to salvage photo albums, a Bible, and a family heirloom.

“There were of course a lot of things in there we weren’t able to save,” Bowers said. “The most important things are our children.”

Rowan County fire A family of nine escaped a fire that destroyed a home on Feb 18 on Mount Vernon Road in Rowan County.

The Greater Carolinas Chapter of the Red Cross and the community has been assisting the family who was displaced.

“There are so many people,” Bowers said. “I know their names, but I don’t know who they are. And they’ve stepped out and helped us and I just I’m so thankful.”

The Scotch-Irish Fire Department was assisted by other departments to put out the fire.

At 0510, Scotch-Irish FD was dispatched to a working structure fire, 700 Mt Vernon Rd, Woodleaf. First due arrived and found fire showing from a three story dwelling. @GCRRedCross assisting 9 displaced, no injuries. #RowanNCFire pic.twitter.com/EWwbgzp14W
— Rowan County 990 (@CFP387) February 18, 2023