Ranger – Two local residents were killed in a house fire on March 27 at 134 Preserve Road.
The names of the victims were unavailable by the Cherokee Scout’s press time Tuesday.
The fire was reported at about 1 p.m. with response from multiple fire departments, including Bellview, Culberson, Hiwassee Dam, Murphy, Ranger, Peachtree, Valleytown and Union County, Ga. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Marshal’s Office, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigations and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives also responded.
Fire officials were distraught and unable to provide details at the scene. The Ranger Volunteer Fire Department later issued a statement on its Facebook page.
“Wednesday … we got paged to a residential structure fire, with fire coming through the roof upon arrival. Ranger – along with Murphy, Bellview, Martins Creek and Culberson fire departments – were dispatched on initial attack. Hiwassee Dam, Peachtree and Union County were contacted for additional manpower to fight the fire.
“We want to thank all the fire departments that responded along with Cherokee County fire marshal, Emergency Management, EMS, and Sheriff’s Office along with Valleytown, N.C. SBI and ATF for all their assistance.
“This is a great example of how our rural fire departments and agencies work together, and training pays off. We would like to ask that you keep the family that lost so much, and all the [firefighters] that fought so hard in your prayers.”
Law enforcement restricted access to just residents and emergency personnel to the scene. There was extensive damage to the two-bedroom, two-bath, 2,426-square-foot home, which was built in 1995 on a 1-acre lot west of Murphy.