By Miles Layton
HERTFORD — Emergency officials have released new details about a Saturday evening house fire on Edenton Street in Hertford that resulted in the total loss of a residence and injuries to two firefighters.
The fire was reported around 5:43 p.m. Saturday at a residence on Edenton Street near the intersection with Grubb Street.
According to Perquimans County Emergency Services Director Jonathan Nixon, Chief Building Inspector Erle Solesbee has confirmed that the home was a total loss following the fire. The wooden structure sustained extensive damage, with the interior heavily impacted by smoke and fire.
My wife and I drove by the charred remains of the home on Wednesday — wow — a lot of damage, and there’s still the faint smell of smoke in the air. Those holes in the main walls are so big that you can see through the house.
Investigators have since determined the cause of the fire. The Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation concluded that the blaze was caused by an electrical malfunction. While the cause has been identified, the Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident, including the circumstances surrounding the explosion that injured two firefighters.
The two firefighters serving with the Hertford Fire Department were transported by Perquimans County EMS to Sentara Albemarle Medical Center for treatment. Emergency Services officials later confirmed that the injuries were non-life-threatening and that both firefighters were treated and released.
The firefighters’ names have not been released to the media and that’s OK. Yes, folks have asked if I know their names — I did ask, but quite honestly, these guys need their privacy, so it’s best not to publicize their names. To those firefighters, folks have reached to me to send this message to you — thanks for your service.
No other injuries were reported. The homeowner, Catherine White, was not at the residence at the time of the fire. Sources said her son, Reginald, later visited the scene and confirmed that the house was under renovation and that no one was staying there when the fire broke out.
Firefighters from multiple departments responded and worked under difficult conditions, including cold temperatures hovering in the 30s and heavy smoke that could be smelled at least 150 yards from the scene.
Hertford Assistant Fire Chief Matt Woodell served as incident commander during the response, with multiple agencies on scene, reflecting a coordinated countywide effort. Those agencies included the Hertford Fire Department, Winfall Fire Department, Bethel Fire Department, Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office, Perquimans County EMS, Town of Hertford Public Works, and Perquimans County Emergency Management.
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