MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Fire officials said a raging house fire early Thursday in Mooresville was caused by an electrical malfunction and was ruled accidental.
[PHOTOS: Flames engulf Mooresville home]
Crews were called to the home on Hickory Hills Road just before 4 a.m. and found heavy flames and smoke coming from the house.
At 5 a.m. the fire was still raging. Crews were able to get it under control by 6 a.m.
The flames burned the house down its studs.
"Parts of the house are devastated, certain parts of the house are water and smoke damaged," Deputy Chief Kevin Clark, with the Lake Norman Volunteer Fire Department, said.
Officials said the family that lived in the house was able to escape and no injuries were reported.
Just before 4 a.m. the couple heard their fire alarm go off, so they grabbed their pets and rushed to safety.
"You could feel the heat all the way from over here on our driveway," said neighbor Amy Wiggins.
The American Red Cross was called to help the couple who lived there.
The Red Cross said firefighters were able save picture frames, a wedding band and a grandfather clock from the home.
"They seem ok. Just feels like a dream. Can't believe it happened, but thankful they were able to get out," said Wiggins.
She said the couple has received a lot of support from family and friends at their church.
She even went to the store herself to purchase items for her neighbors.
"Just grabbing some clothes, food, just some basics so they can function, and they have some family nearby that they're going to be able to live with for a while," she said.
We first updated WSOCTV news app users with a notification just after 5 a.m. Thursday while fire crews wee battling the blaze.
Download the WSOCTV news app for your smartphone and get updates on this developing story as they come in.
Channel 9 learned that it took firefighters a while to get the fire extinguished because there are no fire hydrants on the road. Extra tanker trucks had to be called to the scene to help.
People were wondering why a fireboat wasn't used to attack the fire, since the home sits next to the lake.
Fire officials told Channel 9 that the Williamson road bridge sits too low on the water, and they wouldn't have been able to get their boats through to this section of the lake.
Officials said the fired caused $200,000 to $250,000 in damage.
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