Deep Gap home a

complete loss

in Thursday fire
By Melanie Davis
Melanie@mountaintimes.com

Five local volunteer fire departments responded to a house fire Thursday morning.

A 911 call was made by a motorists on U.S. 421 in Deep Gap who saw the flames on nearby V.L. Moretz Road. Upon arrival at 10:30 a.m., members of the Deep Gap Volunteer Fire Department found the home fully engulfed with flames.

Assistance was called in from Stuart Simmons Volunteer Fire Department, Todd Volunteer Fire Department, Fleetwood Fire Department from Ashe County and Champion Volunteer Fire Department from Wilkes County.

A total of seven trucks and more than 30 firefighters responded to the scene.

Firefighters pumped water from a nearby creek for 45 minutes to fully control the fire. Crews remained on the scene until nearly 5 p.m. to ensure the fire was completely extinguished and clean up the scene as much as possible.

The home was a complete loss. Owners Lucas and Simone Fowler were not at home at the time of the blaze. However, two dogs were killed in the fire. The Deep Gap fire chief said there is reason to believe the inside pets died of smoke inhalation.

Ned Fowler, the father of owner Lucas Fowler, said the pets were both five or more years old, a dalmatian named Chloe and a black lab named Jordan.

The Fowlers have family in the area and will be staying with them temporarily. The home was insured.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, although assistant fire marshal Paul Buchanan said foul play is not suspected at this time.