A Ruffin South Carolina family of seven, narrowly escaped an early morning house fire at 90 Blaine Court Friday 02-Janaury. At 02:54, 9-1-1 received the first report of the fire. The adult female advised one of the children in the home awakened her noting the house was on fire. She immediately discovered smoke in the residence and found a fire in the wall behind a television set in a small bedroom. She got everyone out of the house, went across the street to a neighbor’s home and called 9-1-1. Colleton County (SC) Engine 18 arrived minutes later to find the singlewide mobile home well involved. Firefighter-Paramedics deployed multiple handlines to extinguish the fire. They had the bulk of the flames knocked down within 15 minutes, but were on the scene performing overhaul for a little over two and half hours. The home was gutted and the family lost everything inside.
Fire-Rescue Medic 18 transported the woman and an 11 month old female to Colleton Medical Center. Firefighter-Paramedics treated them for smoke inhalation. The other four children and an adult male who was also in the residence were not injured and did not require medical attention. The home did not have smoke detectors. Fire investigators determined the fire started in an electrical outlet in one of the bedrooms. It rapidly spread through the singlewide mobile home from there. Water supply was provided with a tender shuttle. The Charleston Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting the family.
Engine 18, Engine 26, Tender 4, Tender 13, Tender 18, Tender 26, Tender 27, Medic 18, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 12 and Car 117 responded. Battalion Chief Dan Barb served as incident commander.
Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue
A Walterboro man narrowly escaped a house fire Friday morning 11-April.
At 06:12, 9-1-1 received several reports of a well-involved fire at a residence located at 410 Country Lane. Colleton County (SC) Engine 26 arrived to find a singlewide mobile home with an addition and attached garage approximately 60% involved. The only occupant was in the roadway with only the clothes on his back. When he discovered the fire, he was able to quickly exit the home through the garage.
Barry McRoy photo
Barry McRoy photo
Firefighters deployed two 1-3/4 handlines to combat the flames. Fire had consumed most of the interior leaving only the walls on one end of the mobile home. The roof on the opposite end had already collapsed. Crews were able to make entry through the garage and stop the fire before it reached the garage area. The remainder of the house suffered heavy damage. A pickup truck in the back yard also suffered damage.
Barry McRoy photo
Barry McRoy photo
Firefighters had the fire under control within 30 minutes, but were on the scene for over three hours. The fire appears to have started in the area of the kitchen, but is still under investigation. Water supply was conducted with tenders.
Barry McRoy photo
Engine 1, Engine 26, Tender 1, Tender 19, Tender 26, Tender 27, Medic 1, Medic 26, Battalion 1, and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.
A Smoaks family was displaced after a fire heavily damaged their home Saturday afternoon 01-February. At 15:10, 9-1-1 operators received a call from a child reporting the residential fire at 906 Sunrise Road. The caller advised the home was on fire and that everyone had exited the building.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke conditions with flames coming from the front and rear of the small doublewide mobile home. Crews deployed one 1-3/4 handline and made entry into the building. They quickly knocked down the flames in the front of the building, but experienced difficulty in reaching the fire in the rear of the structure.
Barry McRoy photo
The building’s interior had been modified into a residence from a retired mobile classroom at the old Smoaks Middle School. A bathroom and small hallway had been constructed along the back of the mobile home creating a void space, which was initially difficult to find when firefighters entered the building. The fire had begun to spread through the attic space, but was contained over the original fire room.
Barry McRoy photo
Two adults and two children were able to flee the fire by retreating into a rear bedroom. A woman broke out the window, then jumped from the structure. She injured her ankle, but was still able to assist the others in their escape. The other adult handed the children out of the window before jumping to safety. Firefighter-Paramedics treated the woman at the scene, then transported her to Colleton Medical Center in Medic 18. She was later released from the ED.
Firefighters were on the scene for over two hours. The cause of the fire appears to have been electrical in nature, starting near the front door. The main living room-kitchen were heavily damaged, but the two bedrooms were saved, allowing the family to salvage some personal items.
Engine 7, Engine 18, Engine 26, Engine 27, Tender 4, Tender 5, Tender 7, Tender 26, Tender 27, Medic 18, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 12 and Car 105 responded. Battalion Chief Ben Heape served as Incident Commander.
