Massive fire destroys man’s home on Thanksgiving, North Carolina officials say
A North Carolina man says he’s grateful to be alive after an explosion rocked his home, sparking a massive fire on Thanksgiving Day.
Benny Weeks, 59, was alone at his Carteret County home Thursday, Nov. 25, when the blast occurred, according to WCTI. He said he had just finished eating dinner.
“The smoke detector went off in the laundry room behind me, and I went to wave a towel at the smoke detector, and when I did, it was just a big explosion,” Weeks told the news station. “It blew me out of the back screen door onto the deck and followed by just fire everywhere and the house burnt down.”
Morehead City fire officials responded to the fire around 4:30 p.m., according to a news release. Crews said 80% of the two-story home was engulfed in flames by the time they arrived.
It took firefighters nearly two hours to get the flames under control, department officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A man was treated for injuries at the scene.
Morehead City is about 150 miles southeast of Raleigh.
This story was originally published November 26, 2021 at 11:10 AM with the headline "Massive fire destroys man’s home on Thanksgiving, North Carolina officials say."