Fire Displaces 2 Families in Rolesville

Rolesville, N.C. — One fire left two families displaced in Rolesville Friday.

Investigators believe it began with a fire and explosion in one house on Redford Place Drive, which quickly spread to the second house.

Kimberly McCord was in her house with her four daughters Friday when she saw flickering flames.

“I screamed to my daughters,” she said. “We heard an explosion and at the whole back of the house you could see the smoke and flames coming up.”

Those flames spread to the house next door and melted the siding on another home. Investigators believe the fire started on the back deck of the McCord’s house when a propane tank exploded. Rolesville Fire crews say they saw the smoke as they were leaving the station.

“It was heartbreaking watching it burn before they got here, because of course you want somebody to stop it,” McCord said.

While there were tears at what was lost, there were tears of joy as well. Firefighters were able to salvage some things.

“These are all home videos from the time the kids were first born,” Chris McCord said.

A doll house Chris built for his daughters also made it through the fire.

“I’ve been working on this for months,” he said.

As investigators try to finalize a cause, the fire department will be on the scene for at least 24 more hours, according to Town Manager Matt Livingston.

5 Comments

WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

5 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Latest Comments

Apparently, there was a flammable liquid - paint thinner, or something - on the deck. Many families keep their grills - gas and charcoal - on their decks, but they're not supposed to be used there. They're supposed to be a certain distance from the home, I thought.

lukn4u
June 2, 2007 11:43 p.m.

With all the millions of propane tanks outside in the heat, I feel that another source of the fire caused the propane tank to explode. Many homes and businesses also heat their homes with even larger outside propane tanks, in the sun, every day, all over the USA, and they do not explode all on their own because of heat or sun.

My heart goes to all the families involved.

owlady
June 2, 2007 11:31 a.m.

As many of the viewers in the area have propane tanks on their decks with grills, this would be a great time to cover the safety tips required to minimize the risk of having this happen. I have wondered myself about how much heat the tank can take sitting outside. My grill has a cover on it, but you are still talking about excessive heat if in the sun for a lenghty period of time. Would love to see a story on safely keeping a propane tank on your back deck exposed to the weather.

mitch in raleigh
June 2, 2007 10:31 a.m.

I live near them and I saw the many firetrucks go by. I was just praying to God that nobody was physically and/or seriously hurt. My prayers were answered. Eventhough homes and things were lost, the families were not and praise God for that! My thoughts and prayers go out to these families as they try to rebuild.

yearroundtch
June 2, 2007 10:09 a.m.

What could've made the propane tank explode?