A house fire in the heart of Chocowinity Thursday night destroyed one home near the intersection of N.C. Highway 33 and U.S. Highway 17 Business, but quick action by the Chocowinity Fire Department and others prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding structures.

Chocowinity Fire Chief Tommy Pendley said the call came in at around 8 p.m. Thursday night reporting a multi-story structure fire. Within 30 seconds of the page, firefighters were on scene.

“Upon arrival, we found flames coming out of the side of the house pretty heavy,” Pendley said. “With our initial attack, we tried to knock it down as best we could and protect the structures around it.”

According to Pendley, the homeowner had stepped across the street to the store when someone came in the business and told him something was on fire.

Firefighters from Chocowinity, Bunyan, Grimesland, Blounts Creek and Washington fire departments responded to the scene. Pendley says the bulk of the fire was extinguished in about 20 minutes, but firefighters stayed on scene until around midnight to hose down hotspots.

No other structures were damaged in the fire and there were no injuries during the incident. While the exact cause of the fire is still undetermined, Pendley says it appears to have started in the kitchen area.

The homeowner declined assistance from the Red Cross, but Pendley says he is receiving help from friends and family.