JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – A possible tragedy was avoided early Sunday morning in Jacksonville after two people alerted a sleeping family their house was on fire.
The first was first noticed just before 3 a.m. at a home along Pinewood Drive.
Pumpkin Center Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jeremy Foster said when they arrived, the home was already 40 percent engulfed in flames.
Foster said two people who live nearby were coming home and passed by the house when they noticed the fire. They called 911 and then beat on the windows of the house until they woke the family up.
Foster said the family of three, plus their dog, made it out of the house safely. He said the fire alarms were working inside the home.
Foster said the home is a total loss, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The family is receiving help from the American Red Cross.
