APEX, N.C. — Two families are in limbo after a fire at a Wake County home. The owner was packing up when disaster struck.

The Clements family had nearly finished packing their apartment. They were getting ready to move into their first house, but those plans changed Tuesday just hours before the Clements were to close on their new house.

"That night, we had done the final inspection and about an hour or two later, little after 9 o'clock, I received a call from our realtor saying there was a problem and she got a message that the house was engulfed in flames," buyer B.J. Clements said.

The Clements rushed over to Fallen Oak Drive to find charred oak.

"We just peeked in when we came by. It's not a pretty site," said Kate Clements.

The fire started when a packing box was left on a stove, and the burner was somehow turned on. Surprisingly, the Clements still want to buy the house, if the insurance company says it can be repaired.

"As bad as the damage is, it's fixable and everyone is OK, so someday we'll be able to look back on this and it will be funny ... maybe," B.J. Clements said.

The woman who owns the house is OK, but she is understandably devastated. Her dog died in the fire. Plus, she was packing up for a move to Florida, which is in the path of a major hurricane right now.