Firefighters help salvage family photos after house fire in Mint Hill

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It took firefighters in Mint Hill nearly an hour to get a house fire under control early Thursday morning.

Emergency crews were called to the house on Spring Harvest Drive just after 9:30 a.m. and saw flames and smoke coming from the roof.

Matthews Fire Department and Idlewild Volunteer Fire Department were on scene, and officials said it appeared nobody was hurt.

The attic and upstairs loft was destroyed.

The woman who lives at the home told Channel 9 that her husband had just pulled down plastic bins from the attic so she could put away Christmas decorations when they saw the fire.

They rushed outside to call 911 and saw flames shooting from the top of their home.

As some firefighters were working to put out hot spots, others went back inside the home to pull out photos that the family was praying could be saved.

Most of the frames were wet but friends helped lay them out to dry on the lawn.

Dianne Lutfy told Channel 9 that it all happened so fast.

“I looked outside and there was smoke, and I said there was smoke all around. I said, ‘Oh my goodness.’ He ran upstairs to the attic. It's a walk up attic and it was on fire,” she said.

The family told Channel 9 that they were grateful nobody was hurt.

They are now looking for a new place to stay as Mecklenburg County fire investigators work to determine the cause of the fire..

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