Sheriff's Office: Pair of Victims, Source of Fire Identified from Manns Chapel Road Blaze

A joint investigation by Chatham County and state fire authorities determined a house fire that killed two people on Apr. 11 was accidental.

A release from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday shed more light on the incident and identified the victims as 52-year-old Ethan Douglas Long — who was the resident of the Manns Chapel Road home — and 56-year-old Kristen Lea Hancock of Burlington. The fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. last Saturday by someone who passed the residence and saw smoke, with fire crews arriving to the scene only a few minutes later. The sheriff’s office said upon arrival, firefighters encountered “heavy fire conditions, with flames spreading rapidly throughout the structure.”

Search and rescue operations in the home led to crews finding Long and Hancock, with life-saving measures performed on one of the two victims before both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Thursday’s release said the joint investigation determined the origin of the fire to be around a fire pit that was sitting on the deck of the home. Reportedly, it was used in the evening prior to the house fire. The investigation was conducted by the North Chatham Fire Department, the Chatham County Fire Marshal’s Office, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal.

“Officials extend their deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of Mr. Long and Ms. Hancock, as well as to all those affected by this tragedy,” read the statement shared from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.”

With much of North Carolina facing severe drought, current weather and dry conditions make the risk of fire much higher than normal. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture issued a statewide burn ban on Mar. 28 that remains in effect — and while that measure does not include any fires started within 100 feet of a dwelling, the Chatham County Fire Marshal issued a local ban doing so on Mar. 29. The marshal’s office shared a reminder to the community on Apr. 15.

“Chatham County continues to receive 911 calls about outside fires,” Chatham County Emergency Operations Director Mike Reitz said. “Conditions right now are extremely dry, making any outdoor burning—including residential fire pits—dangerous and unpredictable. Residents should avoid all open flames outdoors and help reduce the risk of wildfires and emergency incidents.”

The North Chatham Fire Department was assisted in responding to the incident and covering other emergencies in the surrounding area by the Pittsboro Fire Department, Carrboro Fire Department, White Cross Fire Department and FirstHealth of the Carolinas.

Photo by Henry Taylor/Chapel Hill Media Group.

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Sheriff’s Office: Pair of Victims, Source of Fire Identified from Manns Chapel Road Blaze

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