By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Chris and Jane Welborne, the owners of the house at 192 Norwood Circle in Blowing Rock listed on the Town of Blowing Rock building permit application, will have to revise their previous renovation and expansion plans after a fire consumed the existing structure in the early morning hours of May 8.
Early morning passersby interviewed by Blowing Rock News described the blaze as “a raging inferno” and “the biggest ball of flames I have ever seen,” at roughly 4 a.m. on Friday, May 8.
While the cause of the fire has not been officially reported, we have heard unconfirmed speculation that the fire could have originated with oily rags left on the construction site. Nearby neighbors reported feeling the heat from the blaze and, according to a WSOC report, credited Blowing Rock Fire Department personnel’s fast response for keeping the blaze from spreading to their properties.
As of this writing, the actual cause is still under investigation.
This is at least the third structure fire to hit Blowing Rock in 2026, beginning with the catastrophic blaze that took Bistro Roca Restaurant on Wonderland Trail in late January, then the Green Hill Circle/Grandfather View fire that was believed to have been ignited by a lightning strike.
