news-record.com

BURLINGTON (MCT) — Embers hidden under a pile of leaves burned over the weekend were ignited by the wind Tuesday morning and are the cause of a fire that destroyed a mobile home on County Line Road near Randolph County.

The blaze ravaged a four-bedroom mobile home, a smaller trailer used for storage located behind the structure as well as a small, add-on room, Alamance County Deputy Fire Marshal Jack Murray said.

A witness told firefighters that at about 10:10 a.m., she saw smoke coming from the left rear of the mobile home. She didn't think much about it the family frequently burned leaves.

The residents weren't burning leaves Tuesday, and no one was home when the fire started.

Tuesday's chilly weather, which included sustained 20 mph winds by midday, created problems for firefighters from Snow Camp, E.M. Holt and Kimesville departments as they fought the blaze. The wind kept pushing the fire into the woods, threatening a neighboring trailer. It also kept reigniting the fire.

Firefighters were called to the fire at about 11:45 a.m. They were able to knock out the flames within about 45 minutes but spent the day tackling hot spots.