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
A mid-day structure fire heavily damaged a Moselle residence, Monday 15-February. A motorist reported seeing smoke and flames coming from the rural home at 12:16. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue Engine 18 arrived to find fire showing from the roof and eves on three sides of the doublewide mobile home. A portion of the roof over the master bedroom had already collapsed. Firefighter-Paramedics deployed two 1-3/4 handlines into the dwelling through the front door. They encountered heavy fire conditions in the east side of the building and in the attic space. Crews worked for 20 minutes to gain control of the fire. They were able to stop the advance of the flames at the middle of the structure and preserve the west side of the building. The remainder of the home suffered substantial smoke damage. No one was at home when the fire occurred. Firefighters were on the scene for 3-1/2 hours. Water supply was handled with tenders pumping to Engine 18. The fire originated in the master bedroom. The exact cause is under investigation.
Engine 18, Engine 23, Tender 4, Tender 15, Tender 23, Tender 26, Medic 13, Medic 18, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Scott Feather served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A 63-year-old Islandton man was severely injured in a single-car, high speed MVC in the 1200 block of Ashton Road in western Colleton County (SC) Saturday evening 13-February. At 20:53, a Station 15 firefighter radioed in to dispatch that a vehicle had struck a tree and the driver was trapped. The northbound Ford Escape failed to negotiate a curve and ran head-on into a large pine tree in front of the firefighter’s residence. He began rendering aid until Colleton County Fire-Rescue units arrived.
The driver was pinned in the wreckage between the dashboard, steering wheel, and driver’s seat, as well as his legs when the floor buckled. The passenger side dash was pushed into the front passenger seat, displacing the seat. Crews began treating the man during the extrication which lasted approximately 20 minutes. Firefighters used Holmatro rescue tools to remove the driver’s rear door and “B” post, then displace the dash to extricate the man. He was transported from the scene in Fire-Rescue Medic 13 to a nearby field, transferred to LifeNet 4 and flown to the Trauma Center at MUSC in Charleston. Traffic on Ashton Road near Gibson was blocked for 1-1/2 hours. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
Engine 15, Tender 15, Rescue 1, Medic 13, Medic 26, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Captain Matthew Owens Williams, Jr. served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A 21-year-old Cottageville man died following a two vehicle head-on collision in the 5800 block of Cottageville Hwy (US Hwy 17-A) Friday morning 12-February at 05:35. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue units from Station #9 arrived to find a 2007 Ford pickup truck on the northbound shoulder with heavy damage. The engine had been thrown 50 feet into the nearby swamp. The driver suffered multiple traumatic injuries and was trapped in the wreckage with no signs of life.
An empty tractor-trailer dump truck was in the woods on the southbound side. The tractor-trailer struck several large trees after the collision with the pickup. The 70-year-old truck driver was also trapped in the wreckage of his vehicle. Engine 9 requested an additional station and ambulance to be assigned to the incident.
Cottageville Highway was blocked due the wreckage. Firefighter-Paramedics began treating the truck driver in the cab, while other crewmembers used Holmatro rescue tools to displace the dash and remove the seat. The driver was extricated with full spinal precautions, then carried through the swamp and up an embankment to Medic 19. He was transported to Colleton Medical Center with multiple, non-life threatening injuries.
The Coroner’s Office responded to the scene. Following their investigation, firefighters used Holmatro rescue tools to extricate the driver of the pickup truck. The Coroner’s Office transported his body. It appeared the northbound pickup left the roadway, over-corrected, then crossed into the path of the southbound tractor-trailer. The collision punctured and dislodged one of the large fuel tanks off of the dump truck spreading diesel fuel over the entire scene. SCDOT brought a sand truck to cover the spilled fuel. Traffic on Cottageville Highway was detoured for six hours, until the accident could be cleared.
Engine 9, Engine 19, Medic 9, Medic 19, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
By the grace of God, a 28 year-old woman miraculously survived a high speed MVC in the 6800 block of Sidneys Road Saturday morning 21-November. At 01:28 Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue units were dispatched to the vicinity after a residence called 9-1-1 advising he was awakened by a loud crash and could hear a car horn.
The accident occurred on a rural secondary road approximately nine miles north of Walterboro, SC. Firefighter-Paramedics arrived to find a single-car off of the roadway with massive damage. The Ford Contour was separated into two pieces. The female driver was conscious and still belted in the driver’s seat, the only intact place in the small car. A bystander was comforting her. Crews quickly determined she was suffering from multiple traumatic injuries and requested a medical helicopter to respond. The patient’s legs were trapped in the wreckage, but with most of the vehicle gone, crews were able to manipulate the seat to extricate the woman without the use of hydraulic tools.
A landing zone was established in a field near the intersection of Sidneys Road and Round O Road, ½ mile north of the scene. LifeNet 4 responded to the location and the patient was transferred to the flight crew without incident, then flown to the Trauma Center at the SC Medical University in Charleston.
The car had been traveling north on Sidneys Road when it left the roadway in a curve and struck a tree. The driver stated she fell asleep. The SC Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.
Engine 19, Medic 19, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Car 109, and Car 118 responded. Battalion Chief Ben Heape served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A singlewide mobile home suffered extensive damage in an early morning structure fire at 78 Shadow Court on Friday morning 30-October. At 03:27, 9-1-1 operators received several reports of fire coming from a residence at the end of Shadow Court, a small mobile home park located off the 1800 block of Jefferies Hwy north of Walterboro. Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue Engine 19 arrived minutes later to find the singlewide mobile home approximately 40% involved with two nearby mobile homes endangered. Firefighter-paramedics deployed two 1-3/4 handlines to the structure, initially making an exterior attack, while other crewmembers breached the front door. One handline was used to protect the exposures until the flames were diminished. They had the bulk of the fire knocked down within 10 minutes, but were on the scene performing overhaul for about 1-1/2 hours. The north end of the building was completely destroyed, while the remainder of the building received heat and smoke damage. No one was at home when the fire occurred. Water supply was conducted with the use of tenders pumping to Engine 19. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Engine 19, Engine 26, Tender 1, Tender 19, Tender 26, Medic 19, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A large Ruffin (SC) home was destroyed in an evening fire Saturday 24-October. At 21:38, off-duty Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Greene and his family were returning from a church function, driving east on Bells Highway (SC Hwy 64), when Chief Greene saw a large fire across a field located behind the Ruffin Farm Supply. He notified Central Communications over his portable radio and began trying to locate an access to the fire. After a few minutes he determined the home was off the end of Smokey Bear Lane, a private dirt road east of Ruffin Farm Supply. The approximately 3700-square-foot home was fully-involved and the roof had already collapsed. Engine 18 arrived minutes later and deployed a deck gun and multiple 2-1/2 and 1-3/4 handlines in an effort to knock down the fire and protect two exposures, a stable containing horses and a storage building, near the residence.
Barry W. McRoy photo
Barry W. McRoy photo
A second alarm was issued shortly after arrival. A water shuttle operation was established for water supply, using a drop-tank and eight, 3000-gallon tenders. Water was obtained from a pressurized hydrant located at Bells Crossroads about ¾ mile from the scene. Engine 23 was later set up on the “B” side of the building and used its deck gun and one handline. Engine 23 was supplied through 3-inch lines from two tenders. Crews worked for 35 minutes to contain the blaze, hampered by 40-foot sheets of metal roofing which had to be removed to reach the fire underneath.
Barry W. McRoy photo
Barry W. McRoy photo
Units were on the scene for over three hours performing overhaul. The home was a total loss, but no injuries were reported. The fire appears to have started in the area of the clothes dryer. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Barry W. McRoy photo
Engine 10, Engine 18, Engine 15, Engine 23, Tender 4, Tender 7, Tender 15, Tender 17, Tender 18, Tender 23, Tender 26, Tender 27, Medic 13, Medic 18, Medic 26, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Deputy Chief David Greene served as Incident Commander.
