VIDEO: Repaired Harvey home burns
Published 12:53 pm Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Eric Williams/The Orange Leader
Eric Williams/The Orange Leader
Eric Williams/The Orange Leader
Eric Williams/The Orange Leader A family is forced to start over on repairs when a fire breaks out in their home on Monday night in the McLewis area. The home was flooded during Hurricane Harvey and was in the final stages of repairs.
Eric Williams/The Orange Leader
Eric Williams/The Orange Leader
Eric Williams/The Orange Leader
Eric Williams/The Orange Leader
By Eric Williams
The Orange Leader
A home in the McLewis area, which was severely damaged after Hurricane Harvey, caught fire late Monday night.
Orange County ESD4 responded to a call in reference to a home smoking just after 8 p.m. in the 300 block of Rose Drive off North State Highway 62.
Information obtained from Newton County ESD1 Asst. Chief Welch, ESD1 responded to the structure fire for mutual aid assistance after the first unit arrived on scene and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the right corner of the residence. All fire departments worked quickly to extinguish the fire in about 45 minutes.
“The Slaughter family of four previous resided at the residence before Harvey. Evidence inside the home showed that the home was under major repairs,” ESD4 Chief Matt Manshack said. “No one was inside the home at the time of the fire, and the family was living in a temporary structure behind their home. The structure was in it’s final phase of repairs when it caught fire”.
“The Slaughter family had not been living inside the home, and they had been in the home cleaning and repairing the home to move back in soon,” a neighbor said. “We were inside our home next door when the lights started to flicker, and we walked outside to notice the next door residence on fire and called 911 immediately. I was so proud to see the quick response of ESD4 Fire Department”.
Chief Welch said, “The home suffered major fire, smoke, and water damage, it’s not sure if the home is a total lost”.
Orange County ESD 4 was assisted by Orange County ESD2 and 3, Newton County ESD1 Fire Departments, and Acadian Ambulance Service.
The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time and no injuries were reported.
Now a husband, wife, and two kids are forced to start the rebuilding process again.
