Kinston residence fire destroys, home, kills five dogs

Lenoir County Emergency Services release:
Dec. 31, 2023

A residence on Gullick Drive in Kinston was destroyed by a fire Saturday night.

Just after 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Lenoir County 911 received multiple calls about a fire at 181 Gullick Drive. Firefighters arrived to the scene to find heavy fire coming from a single-wide mobile home.

Three people inside the structure were inside when the fire started but escaped without injury. Unfortunately, five of the family’s dogs were trapped and did not survive the blaze.

The residence, along with two vehicles that were close to the structure, are considered a total loss. The American Red Cross has been contacted to assist the family with shelter and other needs for the next few days.

Investigators from the Lenoir County Fire Marshal’s Office are working to determine the fire’s cause.

Multiple departments responded to the fire, including the volunteer fire departments from Sandy Bottom, Southwood and Deep Run, the Kinston Department of Fire and Rescue, Lenoir County EMS, Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office and the Lenoir County Fire Marshal’s Office.