Fire destroys house in Hudson

Dec. 18--LENOIR -- Flames already engulfed a house east of Hudson by the time firefighters arrived about 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Matthew Moreland lives at the 1,032-square-foot house, 2550 Shelton Ave. off Drag Strip Road east of Hudson, but was not home at the time.

Tuesday afternoon, working through the remains of the house alongside family members and fire marshals to salvage what he could, Moreland said he left for work at Sattler Corp. in Hudson about 6:45 a.m. Someone called him just after 10 a.m. to tell him his house was on fire.

Moreland said he had many important personal effects in the house, but when he first arrived he jumped an electric fence to check on his three dogs, who were safely outside the house in kennels during the fire and sustained no injuries.

"I guess you've just got to be thankful that no one was home," Moreland said.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, Hudson Fire Chief Tommy Courtner said. The Caldwell County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating.

Ken Stevenson, who lives next door, said he heard what sounded like gunshots shortly before the fire departments showed up.

Steve Eldreth, who lives nearby, said he was at Coy's Automotive just down the street when the fire broke out and saw smoke.

Wade Parker, who lives across the street from the house, said he didn't see the fire until he heard the sirens and looked out the window to see the home "totally engulfed in flames" as firefighters arrived.

Coy McCloud, owner of Coy's Automotive, said that earlier in the morning he had seen what looked like smoke from burning leaves coming from the bottom of the hill below Moreland's home, about 100 yards from the house. That "smoked the place up" before dissipating completely about 30 or 45 minutes before the house fire was visible, he said.

"Maybe something floated up there," McCloud said, but he thought it unlikely. "There's probably nothing to it," he said.

Moreland, who has fire coverage through Nationwide Insurance, will be staying with family.

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