RURAL HALL, N.C. — A man and a dog were found dead after a house was set on fire in Rural Hall, according to the Forsyth County Department of Emergency Services.
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office (FSCO) responded to a domestic disturbance call just before 3 a.m. on the 200 block of North Street early Friday morning.
Neighbors described the scene as chaotic.
"It was definitely a full blaze. The house was up in smoke," Jason Giggins said.
He lives across the street from the home.
A second caller reported that someone was destroying a car, busting out windows, and eventually setting it on fire at the same address that was previously reported.
When deputies arrived, a man barricaded himself inside the house and threatened to shoot anyone who entered.
Deputies activated both their Crisis Negotiation Team and SWAT Team to respond to the scene.
Deputies were able to put the car fire out and noticed smoke coming from the house.
Neighbors believe the fire caused a significant amount of roof damage.
"Definitely a lot of structural damage but at the time it was mainly in the roof. You can see flames coming out of the house," Giggins shared.
Forsyth County Department of Emergency Services said fire departments from Rural Hall, Mineral Springs, City of King, Forsyth County Emergency Services - Fire & EMS Division’s, and the City of Winston-Salem were dispatched to the fire.
Due to the threats made, the PA system was used by deputies to call the barricaded man out of the house so that fire crews would safely address the fire.
Firefighters were then able to enter the home and worked to extinguish the fire while also forcing their way through barricaded rooms looking for potential victims.
During the search, firefighters located a dead man and dead dog.
One dog survived the fire and was rescued by a Forsyth County deputy and then turned over to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Division.
One neighbor said events like this are traumatizing to the Rural Hall community.
"I just hate it, I really do. I mean for the neighborhood and for the security. It could of been a lot worse and spread to other neighbors," Teresa Lawson said.
She lives a few houses down from the affected home.
Fire investigators processed the home and determined the fire was the result of an intentionally set fire within the home.
The body of the man was sent to the Medical Examiner's office for identification and determination of death.
The investigation is ongoing.
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