Bellview – A woods fire quickly escalated Thursday at 505 Haywagon Lane, just north of the Georgia state line, spreading to a workshop and then to a nearby house.
Units from the Bellview, Martins Creek, Murphy, Ranger and N.C. Forest Service fire departments responded to the blaze, which was reported at 3:39 p.m. Firefighters put the fire out but it rekindled, and Bellview firefighters were again dispatched at 9 p.m. that night.
The fire was reported as a woods fire, but spread to a shed a minute later and then to a house three minutes after that. Firefighters arrived to find a smoke-filled 1½-story house with flames consuming the upper floor, with people possibly inside and fire still burning in the nearby woods.
Firefighters from Murphy were the first to arrive, with other units following right behind, making their way down a half-mile of one-lane gravel road followed by an even narrower driveway to the house.
At least five fire engines were stacked behind each other on the narrow driveway, forcing firefighters to lay hose along the edge of an embankment at some points.
The first firefighters on scene combed the burning structure looking for anyone inside. The building was cleared, allowing firefighters to turn their efforts on knocking down the blaze.
One firefighter brought a child’s rocking horse out of the building and handed it to a resident watching nearby.
The Forest Service reported the wildfire was a half-acre and 100 percent contained by Friday morning. A request for information from the Bellview Volunteer Fire Department, the lead agency at the fire scene, was not answered by deadline.
Emergency Medical Services ambulances were also on scene standing by. No injuries were reported.
Cherokee County tax records show the house belongs to Matthew Moore and Catherine Nieves-Estremera. The 1,927-square-foot house was built in 1996 on a 1½-acre lot and valued at $179,857, according to the tax records.
The building was still standing but endured significant damage from flames, smoke and water used to fight the fire.