01/February/2014 – Structure Fire – “C” Shift

Incident # 14-00658 – A Smoaks family was displaced after a fire heavily damaged their home Saturday afternoon 01-February. At 15:10, 9-1-1 Operators received a call from a child reporting the residential fire. The caller advised the home was on fire and that everyone had exited the building. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke conditions with flames coming from the front and rear of the small doublewide mobile home. Crews deployed one 1-3/4 handline and made entry into the building. They quickly knocked down the flames in the front of the building, but experienced difficulty in reaching the fire in the rear of the structure. The building’s interior had been modified into a residence from a retired mobile classroom at the old Smoaks Middle School. A bathroom and small hallway had been constructed along the back of the mobile home creating a void space, which was initially difficult to find when firefighters entered the building. The fire had begun to spread through the attic space, but was contained over the original fire room. Two adults and two children were able to flee the fire by retreating into a rear bedroom. A woman broke out the window, then jumped from the structure. She injured her ankle, but was still able to assisted the others in their escape. The other adult handed the children out of the window before jumping to safety.

Firefighter-Paramedics treated the woman at the scene, then transported her to Colleton Medical Center in Medic 18. She was later released from the ED. Firefighters were on the scene for over two hours. The cause of the fire appears to have been electrical in nature, starting near the front door. The main living room-kitchen were heavily damaged, but the two bedrooms were saved, allowing the family to salvage some personal items.

Engine 7, Engine 18, Engine 26, Engine 27, Tender 4, Tender 5, Tender 7, Tender 26, Tender 27, Medic 18, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 12 and Car 105 responded. Battalion Chief Ben Heape served as Incident Commander.