A 3500 sq ft dwelling was destroyed in an early morning fire in the 5400 block of Prices Bridge Road Tuesday morning 16-February. At 03:02, 9-1-1 was notified of the incident, with the caller reporting flames coming from the home along Chessey Creek. The home is located near the end of a five mile long dead-end road. The fire occurred during a severe thunderstorm with blinding rain and 33 mph winds. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue Engine 6 arrived to find the single-story block building approximately 80% involved. The roof had already collapsed over a portion of the building. They initially attempted to use the deck gun, but the strong winds prevented the water from reaching the building. Firefighter-Paramedics deployed three handlines to combat the fire. The wind-driven fire spread rapidly and quickly consumed the remainder of the building. An operational Model T and a Corvette were also destroyed in the garage. It took approximately 40 minutes to bring the fire under control. The home and contents were destroyed. Fire units were on the scene for six hours. Water supply was conducted with a tender shuttle from a dry hydrant at Prices Bridge Landing, two miles from the scene. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Engine 6, Engine 12, Tender 1, Tender 6, Tender 12, Tender 19, Tender 27, Medic 1, Medic 6, Medic 19, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Scott Feather served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue