‘Electrical malfunction’ caused fatal NC Christmas Day fire, investigators say

The house fire in Johnston County that killed a father and his adult son on Christmas morning was likely caused by an electrical problem, investigators say.

The fire started before dawn in the home on Red Oak Drive, between Smithfield and the Cleveland community, and spread quickly, according to Wilson’s Mills Fire & Rescue Chief Jason Moore.

Firefighters found John Jones and his son Scott dead inside. Both men were disabled, which made it difficult for them to get out, Moore said.

Neighbors told The News & Observer that Scott was in his 50s and had cerebral palsy, which confined him to a wheelchair They said his father had diabetes, which had left him blind.

They said John’s wife suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation as she tried to help the men get out. She spent some time in an ambulance but declined to be taken to a hospital, Moore said.

Investigators determined the fire was caused by an “unspecified electrical malfunction,” said Travis Johnson, the county fire marshal. Johnson said the home’s circuit breaker tripped, but it’s not clear why.

“We could not narrow down what exact component failed,” he wrote in an email.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control, Moore said. The house was cluttered with debris, which firefighters continued to pick through and douse with water for another hour to ensure none of it was still burning.