A North Carolina volunteer firefighter battling the massive wildfire in the eastern part of the state had to leave when he got the call that his own home was on fire.

Stantonsburg Fire Chief Brandon Epps had been in Hyde County
helping protect homes close to the fire line when he was told
Monday to call home.

His Farmville home was a total loss. His wife, April;
15-month-old son Landon; and mother, Nancy Johnson escaped
unharmed. Five family dogs and a couple of cats died in the fire.

Brandon Epps told the Wilson Daily Times that when he got the
news, he headed home.

Epps says he's not sure what caused the fire, but suspects it
was an electrical malfunction in a wall socket.

The wildfire that started June 1 has burned about 41,000 acres
in the sparsely populated area of three eastern counties.