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Fire In Wendell Destroys Mobile Home, Kills Dog

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WENDELL, N.C. — Thanksgiving turned tragic for a Wendell man when fire swept through his mobile home and killed one of his two dogs on Thursday.

According to investigators, an electric space heater probably started the fire, which destroyed everything Ty Atkinson owned.

Firefighters said that once the fire started, it took only minutes to gut Atkinson's residence on Cotton Drive in Wendell.

The flames spread very quickly throughout the length of the mobile home. The heat was so intense that it melted part of Atkinson's Jeep parked outside.

Atkinson was not home at the time. He was on a trip but returned after he got a phone call.

"They called me and told me there was some chaos over here," he said. "So I decided to come back and see what it was. On the way back, they told me it was a fire."

The fire had consumed Atkinson's home.

According to investigators, one of Atkinson's dogs may have started the fire by tipping over the space heater. Both dogs were in the trailer. One of the two got out alive.

Atkinson lost everything in the mobile home. His Jeep started, but firemen say it may also be a total loss.

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