North Carolina
‘Fully engulfed in flames’: Investigation underway after Leicester home explodes
LEICESTER, N.C. (WLOS) — Neighbors near Moonrise Ridge in Leicester are reacting after a house explosion shook their homes in the early morning on Friday, March 13.
“I stepped outside and saw smoke and an orange glow from the neighbor’s house,” said neighbor Ryan Dailey. “By the time I got across the hill, the house was completely leveled and fully engulfed in flames.”
The Leicester Volunteer Fire Department responded after receiving a call about a possible house fire at a home off Gibbs Road, Fire Chief Gary Moore said.
“It was below freezing this morning,” Moore said. “And in our area, we have no fire hydrants, so we had to shuttle water in. It’s a narrow, one-lane road down to the house.”
HOUSE EXPLOSION REPORTED IN LEICESTER; NO ONE INJURED IN BLAST
Authorities confirmed the home was destroyed. Dispatch calls were for a propane tank explosion, but Moore said the cause of the blast is still under investigation. Fire crews spent hours extinguishing hot spots while the Buncombe County fire marshal continues investigating.
Jeff Williams, a home restoration expert with an emergency response company, monitors fire dispatch notes that come through an app for licensed response firms. He said initial information indicated a propane tank explosion that ignited the home. He showed News 13 the note that went out.
“This one was actually a propane tank [that] exploded and burst in the home,” said Williams.
Williams said propane systems require routine inspections.
MARCH HISTORICALLY WINDIEST MONTH IN ASHEVILLE, WITH WINDS DYING DOWN IN LATE SPRING
Another neighbor, Josh Lockhart, uses propane to heat his home. He said he’s aware there can be risks, but he said there are checks and balances. Fire officials recommend having heating systems inspected regularly by a certified propane or gas company.
“We have monitors to let us know if there’s carbon monoxide or if it has a smell to it as well,” he said. “And I assume that if they were here, and I don’t want to make assumptions, if they were here, they probably would have smelled it, if there was a leak, because it does have a very noticeable smell.”
Lockhart said a retired couple owns the home.
“I feel horrible for them with the fact that they’re going to have to come home to this,” he said.
The investigation into the explosion remains ongoing.
A blast of storms came through central North Carolina on Thursday, causing problems for homeowners, drivers and power companies.
The central part of the state saw a wide spectrum of weather in the span of a few hours, coming one day after Raleigh-Durham International Airport logged record-breaking 89-degree temperatures. On Thursday morning, many places saw temperatures in the 70s, but that changed quickly.
The worst of the rain came in the late-morning/early-afternoon hours with straight-line winds blowing in excess of 30 mph as a cold front moved through and put an end to an extended warm stretch. A 52 mph gust was recorded in Goldsboro.
Around 2 p.m., pockets of east Raleigh, Garner and Holly Springs all had hundreds of power outages.
A Pikeville resident sent a photo of a tree that had split in a yard. In Four Oaks, a person shared a photo of an overturned RV.
On the roads, one lane of Interstate 40 was closed near Harrison Avenue because of a fallen tree. Part of NC 55 was closed in Holly Springs near Dickens Road because of downed power lines and trees. WRAL News also received reports of a downed tree blocking N.C. Highway 242 in Sampson County. between Salemburg and Roseboro.
Near Erwin, a viewer sent a photo of a tree upside down and entangled in power lines.
The National Weather Service confirmed there were no tornadoes in central North Carolina on Thursday.
Interestingly enough, Roxboro saw snow flurries in the early afternoon due to a dramatic dip in temperatures from the morning. Impacts from the snow were expected to be minimal.
“It’s the cold air catching up with the moisture,” said WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell. “You don’t have to worry about any of the sticking or leading toward any kinds of impacts.”
Temperatures were expected to fall into the 40s throughout the area on Thursday afternoon. As the winds subside, we’ll see temperatures in the 30s on Friday morning with possible frost.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. — A man has been arrested after a months-long investigation into a series of intentionally set fires near the North Carolina-Georgia state line, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office says.
On March 10th investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Murphy Police Department, the North Carolina Forest Service, and the Georgia Forest Service arrested 48-year-old Kevin James Roper of Blairsville, Georgia.
Roper is suspected of setting multiple fires in wooded and brush areas near the state line. Roper has been charged with 10 counts of intentionally setting fire to grass, brushlands and woodlands.
The investigation began in late December 2025 after several suspicious fires were reported along Tate Road, an area that straddles the state line between Cherokee County, North Carolina, and Union County, Georgia.
Because of the location of the incidents and the nature of the fires, the North Carolina Forest Service and Georgia Forest Service initiated a joint investigation.
Additional fires were reported in February 2026 in the Martins Creek Community.
On February 22nd, deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office responded to one of the fires as part of the ongoing investigation.
On March 10th, the North Carolina Forest Service and the Georgia Forest Service requested assistance from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Murphy Police Department in taking Roper into custody.
Investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office made contact with Roper, who was taken into custody and transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center.
Roper was released after posting a $25,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Cherokee County District Court on April 7th.
A girl who was kidnapped from Duarte in 2020 when she was just 5 years old has been found safe in North Carolina.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said it found Karen Rojas, who is now 11, on Tuesday. She was enrolled in school under an alias, according to investigators.
Authorities said she was kidnapped on June 2, 2020.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services notified Washington County law enforcement that she may be in the state.
They coordinated with several agencies, located the girl and took her into protective custody.
“These are very rare occurrences to have such a positive outcome on such an old case as this, but it reminds us that through hard work, and dedication, and cooperation, stories with positive outcomes like these can happen,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.
Due to the age of the child, further information was not immediately available.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
Ground stop lifted at D.C. area airports after chemical smell
High winds blast Northeast Ohio: Damages, power outages, closures
No. 9 Women’s Tennis preview: No. 1 Georgia – University of Texas Athletics
LIVE SCORE UPDATES & ANALYSIS: Arkansas softball at Alabama Game 1 | Whole Hog Sports
Opinion: Closing the Alaska Native Language Center ends more than a program — it weakens language revitalization
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: Welcome to the Neighborhood. It’s Sinking.
Hegseth cranks up pressure on US war colleges
Thousands march worldwide in solidarity with Palestine, Iran on al-Quds Day
All 6 U.S. crew are dead after a military aircraft goes down in Iraq
Video: F.B.I. Investigating Synagogue Attack as ‘Targeted Act of Violence’
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoU.S. Postal Service could run out of money within a year
-
Miami, FL1 week agoCity of Miami celebrates reopening of Flagler Street as part of beautification project
-
Pennsylvania1 week agoPa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico
-
Sports1 week agoKeith Olbermann under fire for calling Lou Holtz a ‘scumbag’ after legendary coach’s death
-
Oklahoma5 days agoOSSAA unveils Class 6A-2A basketball state tournament brackets, schedule
-
Michigan4 days agoOperation BBQ Relief helping with Southwest Michigan tornado recovery
-
Southeast4 days ago‘90 Day Fiancé’ alum’s boyfriend on trial for attempted murder over wild ‘Boca Bash’ accusations
-
Health5 days agoAncient herb known as ‘nature’s Valium’ touted for improving sleep and anxiety