Fire on British Cemetery Road

Last night at around midnight the fire sirens went off and had the island wondering and worrying about what the outcome was going to be. From Howard Street we could hear the shouts of the firefighters and see the glow of the blaze. We couldn't smell the fire from Howard Street, because the wind was blowing towards Oyster Creek. Our condolences go out to the owners of the house on British Cemetery Road that burned. It's still standing (as you can tell from the photos), but the inside is completely gutted from the fire. There were also no reported injuries related to the event. We are exceptionally grateful to our all volunteer firefighters and staff for quickly and effectively extinguishing the fire. It was surrounded by trees and there were many houses in close proximity. My understanding is that no other buildings were damaged in the blaze, although neighbors were out in their yards dousing burning embers as they landed.

As of yet, I have no information about the cause of the fire. I'm sure there will be an investigation into that. And, as always, an event like this reminds us how lucky we are to have such a capable fire department. If anyone would like to show their appreciation financially, you can do so either on their website, http://www.ocracokevfd.org/, or by mailing a check (made out to OFPA -- Ocracoke Fire Protection Agency) to OVFD, PO Box 332, Ocracoke, NC 27960. It is a non-profit organization.

Click on any photo below to view a larger image.