WSLS News Staff
Published: March 26, 2008

Updated with new information 9:20 p.m.

The American Red Cross is helping a Roanoke County family with food, shelter, and clothing, after a fire burned them out of their home.

Roanoke County Firefighters say the flames sparked around 4:46 p.m. at a home in North Roanoke County, in the North Lakes Subdivision, on the 5500 block of Wipledale Avenue.  A neighbor called 911.  The smoke from the fire was so heavy, that we spotted it with our Roanoke Wachovia towercam.

Mary Smith says she and her husband were sleeping inside, and did not know their home was burning.  Then neighbor Marie Tucker ran inside the house, and started yelling about the house being on fire.  That allowed Smith, her husband, and three others inside to get out, along with their two dogs and pet bird.

“When I come out here the flames was going up to back of my house and it was going up the back up on my deck and into the bedroom then and then it started coming out the attic,” Mary Smith told us.

People in the neighborhood couldn’t believe what they watched.  As firefighters sprayed down the flames with a ladder hose, the home’s roof collapsed.

After watching the tragedy, neighbors quickly offered the family food, clothes, and a place to sleep.  “I can’t believe it. I cannot believe it. We’re complaining about how mean the world has been and stuff, but when something like this happens people just come out,” Linda Arthur, who lived in the basement of the home with her daughter, told us.

But it’s neighbors like Tucker the family credits with saving their lives.

“Thank God for her.  Thank God for her,” Mary Smith said.  “They saved our lives. I mean I really don’t know what would have happened. I really don’t,” Linda Arthur added.  “I would do it for anybody. There’s no thanks that needs to be given at all,” Tucker told us.

Updated with new information 6:15 p.m.

Roanoke County firefighters say they received the initial 911 call about the house fire at 5500 Wipledale Avenue at 4:46 p.m.  The 911 caller said they saw flames coming from the house.

Firefighters from the Hollins Station, Mason’s Cove station, and Ft. Lewis station responded.

Firefighters believe the house is most likely going to be a total loss.

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Updated with new information 6:05 p.m.

WSLS crew on the scene says the family of five people inside the home didn’t realize it was burning, until a neighbor ran over and alerted them.

Everyone got out safely, including the family’s two dogs and bird.

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Updated with new information 5:46 p.m.

10 On Your Side’s Lindsey Henley reports the house that burned is in the North Lakes subdivsion, just past Northside High School in Roanoke County.  The home is at the corner of Wipledale Avenue and Pin Oak Drive.

Map of fire location

Firefighters soaked the roof with a ladder hose.

It appears the roof is gone and one of the walls of the home collapsed.

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Updated with new pictures 5:36 p.m.

WSLS crew on the scene of house fire in North Roanoke County.  It appears much of the roof is gone.

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Updated with pictures & video 5:23 p.m.

WSLS can see heavy smoke blowing in the area between Cove Road and Northside High School from our Roanoke Wachovia towercam.

We have a crew on the way, to find out what is on fire.