UPDATE: According to Lenoir County Fire Marshall Dustin Burkett, Lenoir County Emergency Services has identified the victim from the fatal fire on Saturday, Dec. 28 on Hwy 258 as William Russell, 71 years of age. No further information has been released.

ORIGINAL STORY published on 12/28/19 at 7:28 p.m.
At approximately 12:20 this afternoon, North Lenoir Fire Rescue, La Grange Volunteer Fire Department, and Hugo Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Highway 258 North near Dobbs Farm Road. 

"The first arriving officer found fire in a single-story residential structure," said Chris Decker, North Lenoir Fire Rescue Public Information Officer. 

Crews entered the premises to search for any potential survivors and to put out the fire. The firefighters extinguished the flames and turned over the incident to Lenoir County Emergency Management. 

Fire crews quickly located an individual that they were able to get out of the home. The victim, an unidentified male, was treated on the scene and transported to UNC Lenoir Hospital where he was pronounced as deceased. 

According to Dustin Burkett, Lenoir County Fire Marshall, Lenoir County Emergency Services is not releasing the name of the victim until out of state family members can be notified. He expects the name to be released early next week.

The cause of the fire was determined to be an accidental cooking fire according to Burkett.

Today’s fire follows a fire yesterday in La Grange where an unidentified person was rescued. La Grange Volunteer Fire Department and North Lenoir Fire Rescue responded to that call. 

La Grange resident Lilly Hardy said she smelled smoke and stepped outside to make sure it wasn't her home when she saw a group of people near 3769 Pecan Grove Circle in La Grange.

They'd already notified the fire department who arrived and put out the fire. Hardy did not know who lived in the mobile home.