Stations 9, 1, 5,
19 and 27 responded to a house fire at 1854 Van Dyke Road north of
Cottageville at 0349, Monday morning 24-November. Firefighters arrived
within 8 minutes to find the single family, wood frame structure 75%
involved. The occupants, a mother and her three children escaped without
injury. The woman advised firefighters that her children woke up after
smelling smoke and awakened her. They saw fire in a wall in the area of
the fireplace. Engine 9 used a deck gun to knock down the initial heavy
fire. Firefighters then used multiple 1.75" hand lines to bring the
fire under control. The older home had several layers of siding applied,
making extinguishment somewhat challenging. Firefighters braved the cold
to work the fire. Many of the personnel had ice covering their
protective gear due to the water spray and freezing temperatures.
Units were on the scene for over 4 hours. The family had no insurance
and being assisted by the Charleston Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Engine 9, CAFS
Engine 1, Tender 5, Tender 9, Tender 19, Tender 27, Medic 9, Medic 19
and Battalion 1 responded. Battalion Chief Richard Sheffield served as
Incident Commander.
