Investigators say an RV refrigerator fire likely sparked the blaze that killed three family members early on November 25 in Lexington, North Carolina. Deputy Fire Marshal John Webster of the Davidson County Fire Marshal’s Office confirmed, “The most probable cause of the fire was an unspecified failure of the refrigerator inside the motorhome.” Refrigerator fires are a serious concern for many RVers—we’ll discuss protection measures later.
What happened in the deadly Lexington RV refrigerator fire
The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in a motorhome parked beside a single-family home. Flames quickly spread to the house while five people slept inside. Two adults escaped, but three others—a woman, her sister, and her 3-year-old daughter—did not survive.
The victims have been identified as Alysha Clark, 32; Megan Clark, 29; and Maddy Edge, 3, Megan’s daughter. Firefighters pulled Maddy from the home and rushed her to the hospital, but she later died from her injuries. The two adult women were already deceased when crews arrived.
Two others survived. Neal Clark, father of Alysha and Megan and grandfather to Maddy, was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Cat Clark, Alysha’s wife, escaped without injury. Family members told WFMY News 2 that the household had been preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving together that previous Saturday.
Investigators confirmed smoke alarms were present in the home, but none were functioning. The Davidson County Fire Investigation Task Force said the motorhome refrigerator’s unspecified failure likely ignited the RV refrigerator fire, which then spread to the residence.
Why RV refrigerator fires can turn deadly in minutes
Some of the most frightening RV videos online show rigs engulfed in flames—and, far too often, the culprit is the refrigerator. A fire can quickly turn a rolling home into smoke and ash, making an RV refrigerator fire one of the most dangerous hazards for travelers.
Many RVers have switched from LP gas refrigerators to electric models, which eliminate the risk of an open flame.
While electric fridges work well for some, they aren’t always practical for off-grid RVing. Solar panels can provide power, but cloudy days or shaded campsites can leave insufficient energy for reliable operation. This is a growing concern as more RVs come equipped with electric fridges as “standard equipment.”
How RVers can protect their fridge and family from fire
For those with LP refrigerators concerned about safety, Paul and Mao Unmack have developed a device to help prevent RV refrigerator fires. The Fridge Defend, an Absorption Refrigeration Protective Control (ARP®), wires into Norcold or Dometic refrigerators and monitors boiler temperature. If it rises beyond safe limits, ARP automatically shuts the fridge down, preventing overheating and reducing the risk of fire. Once temperatures return to a safe range, the unit restarts, keeping food cold without interruption.
Beyond safety, Fridge Defend also protects the refrigerator itself. Operating off-level can generate excess boiler heat and gradually damage cooling units, a common cause of costly repairs. By monitoring and controlling boiler temperature, ARP helps extend the lifespan of the refrigerator while preventing hazards. You can learn more about their ARP system here.
Our hearts go out to the Clark family. Their loss underscores the importance of RV safety and precautions for every traveler.
Sources: WFMY News 2, Davidson Local
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RVT1238b
Condolences to the family of this tragic event – and perhaps especially sad at this time of year. This is indeed another black eye for the Rv industry as this seeming cause continues without a fix or any industry or government involvement to put an end to this hazard. The article notes the refrig as a propane unit – I would presume it to be both propane and elec. It would helpful to know the age of this unit, was it on and was it using propane as the energy source. So sad for all the family as they lost family members, their Rv and their home as well!
Critical to regularly spray soapy water on all gas connections front to rear of unit. That said, not sure much different than sticks and bricks. We had 4 major explosions of homes in Utah last year. Not sure how many electrical fires.
Sad, but RV fridge fires can truly happen to anyone.
Our 2020 Montana Norcold (or NO COLD as we called it!), caught fire just after the warranty expired due to a broken LP supply line. Luckily we got it out quickly, so no damage other than the “guts” of the fridge. We converted it to a 12V fridge and it has been perfect ever since. What a fire danger these things are!
Seems like the article became an ad for ARP. You should also have mentioned the fire suppression systems available for RV refrigerators.
RV gas stoves are also dangerous. Twice I bumped the knobs on my gas stoves in my Outdoors RV not realizing they turned on. It happened when I scooted by with the slide in. Thank God for the gas detector.