Fires Hit 2 Wake County Homes

Cary, N.C. — Firefighters battled two blazes at homes around Cary as storms strained emergency personnel throughout the region Friday night.

Fire engulfed a home at 101 Lyncroft Lane in the Landsdowne subdivision in Cary about midnight, authorities said.

A mother and daughter in the house managed to get out safely, said police. Two other family members were not home at the time.

Fire officials said the home suffered damage, but they did not know its full extent.

Lightning sparked another fire in a multimillion-dollar home just outside eastern Cary earlier Friday night.

Personnel and apparatus from the Fairview, Cary, Holly Springs and Swift Creek fire departments responded to the fire, which was called in at about 8 p.m.

Fire crews faced an additional challenge: The subdivision does not have a fire hydrant.

"If there was a fire hydrant in front of the house, it would not have made a difference. Unfortunately, again, the fire had a big head start on us, and we did the best we could," said Mike Gerke, with the Swift Creek Fire Department.

Fire crews transported more than 200,000 gallons of water from about a mile away. The water was dumped into a container that looked like a swimming pool, and then pumped to fight the fire.

Penny Road was closed to allow fire trucks clear access to the house at 3405 Birk Bluff Court.

The subdivision doesn't have fire hydrants because it's outside the town limits and doesn't receive municipal water service.

"(I would) definitely prefer to have fire hydrants, but there isn't much you can do about that. The firefighters do a great job of shuttling the water. I mean, as soon as they set up, it's just like having fire hydrants," said neighbor Tripp Loyd.

No one was home at the time, but the fire destroyed the house, said fire officials.

The 7,785-square-foot house and 1.6 acre lot are listed in Wake County tax records as being assessed at $1.5 million in January 2003.