09/14/2011 – Mutual Aid 8 Alarm Fire – “B” shift
Incident # 11-05006 - At 07:55, Colleton County Fire-Rescue received a request from Orangeburg County Fire Department requesting assistance with what was already an eight alarm fire at Don’s Car Crushing located at 1193 White Sands Road in Holly Hill. Contact was made with the Incident Commander on scene at the fire to verify the resources needed. Orangeburg County was asking for Tenders for the large fire and requested as many as Colleton County could send. The IC advised that they needed a total of sixteen. The request was received at shift change, so many off going personnel were ending their shifts and volunteered to respond. A Countywide page was broadcast over the Fire-Rescue radio system for any volunteer firefighters who might be available to respond to Holly Hill and Captain Scott Feather in Car 118 was dispatched immediately. His job was to coordinate with the Orangeburg Fire Officials and serve a liaison with the responding Colleton County units.
Colleton County Fire Officials made a quick assessment of available resources and made assignments to the personnel who volunteered to respond. Orangeburg County was not asking for any personnel to assist in the firefighting effort, but was only requesting Tenders from Colleton County. This reduced the number of firefighters needed from Colleton, since one operator can staff a Tender. It was determined that Fire-Rescue could send up to twelve of its 34 tenders, pulled from stations that would have an available Tender in a neighboring Colleton County Fire Station, retaining enough resources that could respond in the event a fire occurred in Colleton. Ten 3000 gallon Tenders were selected and dispatched within the next 20 minutes, most arriving in Holly Hill around 09:00. A massive effort was already underway in Holly Hill to supply the five Ladder Trucks that were in operation. It is understood that the business, Bobs Car Crushing, crushes automobiles and other waste, shreds it and produces a mulch type product that is sold as a fuel for nearby concrete plants. The piles of shredded car waste/mulch covered several acres and in some cases were over six stories high.
The ladder trucks were set up trying to contain the fire that was burning in multiple piles and endangering several buildings on the property. Heavy black smoke could be seen several miles from the incident scene. There was no pressurized water system on the site, so all of the water had to be transported into the scene. Several county fire departments from the surrounding areas responded from Berkeley, Charleston, Orangeburg, Dorchester and Colleton Counties responded. Over twenty five Tenders worked all day transporting water from a pond and nearby pressurized fire hydrants to supply the firefighting effort. Several Engines were set up at a nearby pond to provide water to refill the Tenders. Multiple portable tanks were positioned near the on-scene Engines, who in turned supplied the Ladder Trucks. The continuous water shuttle ran non-stop until around 15:30. Colleton units were released shortly before 16:15 and most units were back in the County by 17:00.
Orangeburg County arranged for a diesel tanker to come to the scene to refuel the apparatus working the fire. Food and beverages were also brought on-site for personnel. Orangeburg Officials were still on the scene through the night.
Tender 4, Tender 5, Tender 903, Tender 12, Tender 13, Tender 17, Tender 22, Tender 23, Tender 27, Tender 32 and Car 118 responded. Captain Feather served as Liaison for the Colleton Units and served as a Safety Officer during the incident.
