Probe ongoing in Zionville fire
By Melanie Marshall

The Watauga County Fire Marshal’s Office, with assistance from the State Bureau of Investigations, is continuing their investigation of a destructive fire from early August.

Firefighters from the Zionville Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Smith Isaacs Road, just off Tater Hill Road, on Aug. 2.

The ZVFD called in assistance from the Cove Creek Volunteer Fire Department and the Beaver Dam Volunteer Fire Department to control the blaze.

Watauga fire marshal Steve Sudderth said the single-story modular home was a complete loss.

The house was empty at the time of the fire, with the exception of a few pieces of furniture. The owner, Barry Oliver, lives in Cove Creek.

The Watauga County Sheriff’s Office had received a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area, called in by neighbors, approximately five to ten minutes prior to the fire call.

The fire investigator of the SBI was called to the scene accompanied by a canine trained to detect accelerants.
The dog indicated a possible substance and samples were collected.

The samples are currently at the SBI lab for analysis.

Sudderth said until the results of the tests are available, for which a timeline was not provided, little information would be released.

The fire marshal’s office and SBI are investigating cause and origin only.

If the fire is determined to have been intentionally set, the investigation will be turned over to the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office for criminal investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this fire is asked to call the fire marshal’s office at (828) 264-4235 or Watauga County Crimestoppers at (828) 268-6959.