House fire in northern Rodanthe contained; No injuries reported

Video by Joy Crist

A house fire that occurred in northern Rodanthe on Wednesday afternoon, April 19, was contained as of Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m.

Members of the Chicamacomico Banks Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) and the Avon VFD were still at the scene as of Wednesday evening to address any pockets of fire, and to ensure the site was safe.

The fire occurred at a home on 16th of August Ct. in the Mirlo Beach community, parallel to the Jug Handle Bridge and north of N.C. Highway 12. The fire started at approximately 3:15 p.m. and spread throughout the home within 30 minutes, per multiple reports from residents and visitors in the immediate area.

There were people staying at the home, but per Steven Kovacs, Dare County Fire Marshal, the home was unoccupied at the time of the fire. There were no major injuries reported, although several firefighters were examined and treated for exposure to the extreme heat.

“The Chicamacomico and Avon firefighters arrived quickly after the [initial report], and they did a great job,” said Kovacs. “We were fortunate that there was no one in the house at the time.”

No adjacent properties were severely damaged during the fire, and traffic on N.C. 12 was not impacted as of Wednesday afternoon, but Rodanthe travelers should use caution and yield to emergency vehicles as needed.

The cause of the fire is unknown, but the investigation into the cause of the fire will begin as soon as possible, per Kovacs.

In addition to the Avon and Chicamaocimico VFDs, other local and federal agencies responded to the fire including the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Dare County EMS.