March 23--Investigators are trying to determine what caused the fire that destroyed the home of a top officer in the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office.
The home of Lit. Chris Martin, a shift commander for the sheriff's office, burned Wednesday morning. Caldwell County officials say Martin and his family were not home when the fire broke out, sometime around 7:30 a.m.
According to emergency services officials, someone noticed smoke about 7:50 a.m. in the area near Roby Martin Road, in the Patterson community. Patterson Fire Chief Reggie Ford drove to the area and discovered the fire at the single-story, wood-frame house.
Authorities say the house was in flames by that point, and firefighters were not able to save it.
The house is on a mile-long driveway and not visible from Roby Martin Road, officials say. Firefighters remained at the scene of the blaze for part of Wednesday, dealing with hot spots.
The fire marshal, along with local and state officials, spent much of the day investigating the blaze. No injuries were reported.
