It was 3:40 a.m. on Nov. 11 when Wanda Johnson awoke to a loud popping noise. When she opened her bedroom door to investigate, she faced smoke and flames coming from the attic. She yelled for her family, and quickly got her daughter and nephew out of the house to ensure their safety.
But when she and a neighbor tried to put out the fire with a hose, the efforts were futile. The flames were too strong, and soon their beloved home was gone.
The day before, Johnson panicked when a stove fire began and ran to her neighbor’s for help. Johnson believes the fire on Friday led to the larger fire on Tuesday morning, since there may have been residual burning that she couldn’t see or smell.
“Everything was out, didn’t smell nothing," she said. "We thought everything was good. So evidently it must have triggered the wire in the back of the stove in the wall, so it must have got in there some kind of way."
Wanda Johnson’s son, UNC sophomore Darius Johnson, created a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the rebuilding of his home. So far, the family has raised over $5,000, but their goal is $90,000.
“Almost everything was damaged either due to the fire or due to water damage," he said. "I knew that we did not have home insurance and that was confirmed to me by my parents, that we do not have home insurance and I just, I was lost, and I didn’t know how we would recover."
Darius grew up in this home in Lumberton. It's the backdrop for many of the most important moments of his life, from crying with his parents on tough days to his acceptance into UNC.
“A lot of memories have been created and harbored in that house. It’s where I first met my little sister when they brought her home from the hospital. It’s where my younger sister and I and my older sister had many fights,” Darius said.
Wanda Johnson's niece Shaquana McEachin said the house was a common gathering place for the entire family, and its loss has impacted all of their lives.