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Downed tree sparks house fire in north Charlotte

Firefighters said a large tree snapped and fell onto a live power line before crashing into the back of a house on Brampton Drive.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A house fire in north Charlotte was sparked by a tree that was snapped onto a live power line during Monday morning's severe weather, firefighters said. 

The fire happened in the 8700 block of Brampton Drive around 10:30 a.m. Firefighters were able to get the flames under control in about 20 minutes.

Fire investigators said the tree was blown over by high winds and crashed into the power lines and onto the back of the house. 

Zeaun Zarrieff was in the shower when the tree came crashing down.

He said neighbors immediately ran to his house to check on him.

"It was heartwarming," Zarrieff said. "A weight lifted off of me, and I was able to actually come out and assess the situation."

He said several thousands of dollars worth of equipment was damaged, but no one was injured.

"As long as we have life, we're not defeated," he said.

The storms caused more than 6500 outage events as Duke Energy crews are still trying to assess all the damage.

Spokeswoman Meghan Miles said crews are restoring power while trying to keep six feet from each other.

"There are some instances where our crews need to work in close proximity so we are enhancing our hygiene practices aligned with the CDC," Miles said. "As of right now, we have not seen work slow down, and our workers have been able to adapt to the new work practices to help keep them safe."

She said customers should stay away from their work zones, keep six feet away from crew members and be patient.

The Red Cross is helping displaced families virtually, instead of in-person, due to the coronavirus.

It was a busy morning for Charlotte Fire, as crews responded to dozens of calls for downed trees and power lines from Monday's severe weather outbreak. 

In south Charlotte, crews rescued a woman from an apartment building after a large tree crashed through her roof. She was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

RELATED: Woman rescued from Charlotte storm damage

In South Carolina, the storms were deadly. One person died in Seneca after a suspected tornado touched down in Oconee County early Monday. That same line of storms led to tens of thousands of power outages in the Upstate of South Carolina. 

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