Pine Island Fire Update

By Kip Tabb – 

Considered "heavily damaged" the southern most structure in the Pine Island fire was saved by the quick reaction of the Duck Fire Department.

With no official cause to the fire that consumed two houses and severely damaged a third (editor’s note: visually the third house appears on the extreme edge of “severely damaged”), the Currituck County Fire Marshall has asked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to look into the cause of the conflagration. The SBI is occasionally asked to help local fire departments examine how a fire started, according to Randall Edwards, Public Relations Coordinator. “The SBI is asked to come in on structure fires,” he says.

According to initial reports, the fire began in the middle property, located at 187 Cottage Grove Road. Fanned by a southwest wind blowing up to 35 mph, the flames spread north to a property located on Hicks Bay Lane. The fire also heavily damaged the house immediately to the south of the home where the fire began.

Fire departments from throughout the area responded to the alarm, with fire stations in Currituck and Dare County involved. The Corolla Fire Station, Carova and Lower Currituck responded as well as every Dare County station north of Oregon Inlet. ‘

The quick response and coordinated response kept the fire from spreading beyond the three homes, according to Corolla Fire Chief, Rick Galganski. “Everybody up and down the beach did a great job of responding,” he said.

The Duck Fire Department in particular came in for praise. “They can get the credit for saving the third house,” Galganski noted.

Although property damage is total for two of the homes and the third home may not be able to be saved, no injuries were reported. “It’s just a blessing that no one got hurt,” Galganski says.