One adult perished and another was critically burned in a structure fire on Fire Hill Road Wednesday morning May 20th. Four dogs and seven snakes also perished in the fire. The adults were awakened to a fire in the living room of the double wide mobile home. Both adults were able to get the three children out of the burning building unharmed. One adult reentered the home in an attempt to save the animals and became trapped. The other adult, allegedly, reentered the home in an effort to rescue the missing adult, sustaining significant burns. A Colleton County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived within minutes and was able to narrow down the location of the victim inside the building. Colleton County Firefighter-Paramedics entered the burning building and searched the area the Deputy indicated. The victim was located the in the back of the home. Firefighters brought the victim out of the home and took them to a waiting ambulance. The resident did not survive. A second Fire-Rescue ambulance transported the burned adult to the Burn Center at MUSC in Charleston. One child was also transported to be evaluated but was reported in stable condition. Due to heavy fog CARE Flight was unable to fly. The ambulance picked up the Flight Crew on the way to MUSC to assist with care during the one-hour transport. Family members arrived and took custody of the other two children who were not injured. Water supply was conducted using tenders. The residence suffered extensive damage, and a vehicle was also destroyed. Due to the fatality, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the State Fire Marshall’s Office responded to the scene, which is standard procedure. Units were on the scene most of the morning. The fire appears to have started due to an electrical malfunction.
In a statement, Dr. David A. Greene, Fire-Rescue Chief said, “This tragic event represents the first unintentional fire death our department and our community has experienced in four years. It is a stark reminder of how deadly home fires have become and the importance of prevention efforts. Our department grieves with the families and our prayers will remain with them,” Chief Greene went on to say, “Thirty years ago, legacy construction materials and furnishings afforded you approximately 17 minutes to escape a fire. Today’s synthetics with their high heat release rate and incomplete combustion have reduced that window to two to three minutes. All residents should check their smoke alarms, replace the batteries if needed, and call Fire-Rescue Headquarters at 843-539-1960 if you have none. Thanks to funding from Colleton County Council, we are able to provide and install smoke alarms free of charge. No Colleton County citizen should be without working smoke alarms in their homes. Early notification of home fires is essential to having enough time to survive uninjured.”
