Last week’s fatal fire in Alexander County has been ruled accidental but the cause is undetermined according to Fire Marshall Chris Hicks.
On Thursday, February 26, at approximately 7:51 a.m., the Alexander County 911 Communications Center received a report of a residential structure fire with possible entrapment at 35 Mickey Hager MHP Drive in Stony Point.
Multiple fire departments were dispatched. Upon arrival, the first responding engine company observed heavy fire conditions throughout the entire structure. Individuals on scene advised responding personnel that a subject was still inside the residence. Firefighters entered the structure and located a female victim in a bedroom. Sandra Kay Ball Duke, 64, was removed from the residence, and life-saving measures were immediately initiated. Despite those efforts, she was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Hicks said on Monday that ‘”There was so much damage done, we’re not comfortable determining a definite cause for the fire.” Duke’s 45-year-old daughter was able to escape the flames but did suffer some burns. Her 4-year-old grand daughter was treated for minor injuries.