17-month-old boy dies in fire in Hertford County, N.C.

By Lauren King
The Virginian-Pilot
© August 8, 2008

HERTFORD COUNTY, N.C.

A fire this morning claimed the life of a 17-month-old boy at a mobile home park off Horton Road, south of Murfreesboro.

Neighbors reported the fire at 11:23 a.m. and by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the boy’s father had escaped along with his 3-year-old son and another adult male, said Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan. The two men had been sleeping when the fire started and were unable to reach the 17-month-old when they awoke.

The home was completely destroyed and there was some minor damage to neighboring homes in the park, Vaughan said.

He was unsure how long it took firefighters to extinguish the blaze. No other injuries were reported.

Shortly before 6 p.m., Vaughan said he was returning to the scene of the fire to meet with investigators from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

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