By HEATHER RUPPE
House fires and especially outdoor fires continue to scorch Colleton County, with the number of fires now in triple digits.
Since January of this year, the number of fires in Colleton County have been soaring. According to statistics provided by Colleton County Fire-Rescue, there have been approximately 170 fires in the county since Jan. 1st. This data is accurate, as of March 21st at 9 p.m.
Broken down, there have been 14 structure fires to date. This includes sheds, garages, commercial buildings and outdoor buildings.
There have also been 16 mobile home fires and 24 vehicle fires: in most of the cases of vehicular fires, these vehicles were burned because they were parked near a house fire or near an outdoor burn that spread.
Additionally, there have been 91 woods or grass fires. Throw in about 25 other fires deemed to be “controlled burns,” and Colleton County is sitting at the 170-mark.
One of these fires was fatal. (See story in this issue).
The number of house and woods fires happening in Colleton so far this year are significantly higher than those in this same time frame in 2021.
According to information provided by Colleton County Fire-Rescue Chief Barry McRoy, most of these fires have been a result of neglected woods or brush fires. Some of the houses that have been destroyed have been a result of electrical problems inside houses.
In one instance, children started a fire. “Grass and brush are dry … coupled with the March winds and low humidity, these are factors that have contributed to fast-moving woods fires,” he said.
According to the S.C. Forestry Commission, there are 119 “active burns” happening throughout the Lowcountry this week. An “active burn” is typically done on purpose, and is for disease control, hardwood control or wildlife management.
These are not the type of fires that become rampant and damage homes or property.
“We are asking residents to be diligent with any outdoor fires and to not leave the fire unattended,” said McRoy.
Regardless of the reason for the burn – outdoor trash burning or controlled wood burns – fires should not be left unattended.
Colleton residents should also make sure they have working smoke detectors in their homes and get any electrical problems with their houses checked quickly.
Tips on safely burning outdoor debris:
Keep your fire burning gently and confine it to a manageable size – never pile the firewood too high as you don’t want burning pellets to spill out;
Don’t put garbage or paper into the fire as it can easily spark and throw off embers or burning remnants;
Don’t burn soft woods like pine or cedar and never cut live trees or branches from live trees to put them in your fire.
Always extinguish all fires before leaving
