NEW DETAILS: Victims identified in deadly Shallotte house fire

SHALLOTTE, NC (WWAY) — A fatal house fire claimed the lives of two people in Shallotte early Wednesday morning. 

At the time, crews were already responding to a separate house fire in the 5000 block of Main Street. That call came in at around 3 a.m. and one was injured in the fire. 

When crews arrived at a second house fire in the 100 block of Al Street around 4 a.m., they found the home was already engulfed in flames. Two people were later found dead inside the home.

At a news conference, Shalotte Mayor Walter Eccard identified the two people that died as 61-year-old Christopher Lanno and 57-year-old Robin Napier. 

Eccard said the cause of the fire is still under investigation 

“The first fire was accidental. The cause of the second fire is under investigation and we have no further details on the results of that investigation at this time,” Eccard said. 

The State Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist investigators along with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and the Brunswick County Fire Marshall. The two bodies were transported to the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. 

Shallotte Fire Chief Paul Dunwell said this is the first fatal house fire in Shallotte in nearly 20 years. 

“I’ve been here since 2006, and, we were discussing it earlier, I believe this is the first one that we’ve had in that timeframe,” Dunwell recalled. 

Police Chief Adam Stanley noted it will likely take weeks before authorities have any solid answers. 

“There is no foul play suspected at this time. It may appear as a tragic accident, but I cannot confirm that at this time because the case will be under active investigation for a little bit,” Stanley said. 

Eccard said the next of kin of Lanno and Napier have been notified.