Stations 1, 19, 24, 26 and 27 responded to a house fire at 237 Red Comet Road Saturday afternoon 10-July, at 1800. Engine 1 arrived to find heavy smoke conditions in the single story wood frame dwelling, with fire coming from windows on the “B” side side and the front of the structure. A family member and neighbor were using garden hoses in an attempt to douse the flames. Firefighters made entry through the front door with one 1-3/4 handline, encountering extreme heat as fire burned through the bedroom wall into the living room. As flames raced across the ceiling, they were able to knock the bulk of the fire down within minutes. Crews then moved down a hallway pushing the flames back and contained the fire in a bedroom. The fire was under control within 20 minutes. The majority of the fire damage was contained to the bedroom, however the living room, hall and kitchen suffered heavy damage and the remainder of the home suffered heat and smoke damage. The structure and many personal effects were saved.

A family member was in the yard when he reported hearing the smoke alarms “beeping”. He entered the building to find smoke in the house and found fire on

 the wall in the bedroom. He attempted to extinguish the fire, but was driven out by the smoke. He and a neighbor then pulled a window air conditioning unit from a side window and began to fight the fire with garden hoses. The young man received minor burns to one hand, but refused medical treatment at the scene. His attention to the smoke alarms and the two men’s actions slowed the spread of the fire. Alerting fire units quickly contributed to saving the home. He noted the circuit breakers for that room had tripped several times during the day. The fire appears to have started in an electrical outlet on the outside wall of the bedroom, which spread quickly to items in the bedroom.

The neighbors were a great asset to firefighters, complimenting the work, continually checking on the well being of personnel and providing cold soft drinks to exhausted personnel who endured 100 degree outside temperatures in addition to the extreme heat from the interior of the building. They were very caring individuals. Units were on the scene for over two hours. The Charleston Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting the family who is now staying with relatives.

Engine 1, Engine 19, Tender 1, Tender 19, Tender 24, Tender 26, Tender 27, Medic 1, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Acting Battalion Chief Ben Heape served as Incident Commander.