Boiling Spring Lakes couple moves into new home after fire
BOILING SPRING LAKES, NC (WWAY) — Doug and Debbie Sherwood are enjoying their new home with friends and family in Boiling Spring Lakes.
That wasn’t the case two years ago, when they were both inside their home with a lightning strike sparked a fast-moving fire.
That fire grew and ultimately destroyed the home they had lived in for more than 20 years.
“In September of 2024 during that unnamed storm, I think they called it Tropical Depression 8 or something like that, it got struck by lightning,” Debbie Sherwood explained. “We just live like less than a mile from the fire department, but the three accesses to get to us were flooded out. So they couldn’t get here and so we watched it burn to the ground.”
With fire crews unable to reach them immediately, the couple said they had only minutes to escape with their pets and a few belongings.
“We honestly thought that we wouldn’t have a lot of damage because the fire department is so close and they tried every which way to get here, and we stood across the road at the mailbox and watched the burn,” Doug Sherwood said. “Little over two hours later it was down to rubble.”
The Sherwoods said the loss was overwhelming, but so was the response for their community.
“We had folks that donated furniture,” Debbie said. “I mean just on and on the list of things that people were like, ‘Hey I’ve got this can you use it?,’ and it’s just been people right here in our own community.”
They said neighbors, churches, and even strangers stepped in to help them rebuild their lives from the ground up.
“We could have just sold the property and relocated somewhere else, but we wanted to be here and this is home for us,” Doug said.
After 18 months of rebuilding, the couple is now back on their property in a brand new home.
“Even though we lost everything we still feel so incredibly blessed that we have this wonderful community,” Debbie said.
The Sherwoods also encourage anyone going through similar experiences to reach out to them for support of any kind.
