By HEATHER RUPPE
A Walterboro house was saved from being completely destroyed on Wednesday when firefighter-paramedic crews fought a blaze inside the house’s utility room.
An initial 911-emergency call made at about 5:46 p.m. on Sept. 9th said the Gadsden Loop residence was on fire. Crews from Colleton County Fire-Rescue (CCFR) arrived and found smoke coming from “all sides” of the single-story house, according to CCFR Director Barry McRoy.
“Firefighters deployed two hand lines to the building and entered through the front door,” he said. “They found fire in a utility room located in the center of the building, with fire extending across the ceiling into the dining area.”
The firefighting crews extinguished the flames, and then began to pull back a portion of the ceiling, to make sure the fire had not crept inside the attic. “Fortunately, no extension was found,” said McRoy. According to McRoy, the utility room in the house and a connecting dining room had the most fire damage. The rest of the house suffered heat and smoke damage; however, almost all of the homeowner’s personal belongings were spared, he said.
No one was injured in the fire. The homeowner and other occupants were able to safely get out of the house before firefighting crews arrived.
In all, McRoy said firefighters spent about an hour “performing overhaul and removing the appliances from the utility room.”
“The cause of the fire is believed to have been electrical in nature, and a lightning strike in the area may have (also) been a contributing factor,” he said.
