13-December-2017 – Fatal Structure Fire – “C” Shift

Incident # 17-08515 – Fire-Rescue units were dispatched to a residential fire at 06:20 Wednesday morning 13-December. The initial caller to 9-1-1 advised a woman was trapped and the whole house was on fire. The home is located at 3053 Berea Road in a rural area approximately 7 miles west of the town of Smoaks near Bamberg County. An off duty Colleton Battalion Chief who lives a few miles from the scene was the first to arrive. He advised the single story wood frame dwellings was about 70% involved and a portion of the roof had already collapsed. The woman’s son meet with him and advised his mother was wheel chair bound and identified the bedroom where she was located. The son had made several attempts to reach her, but was driven out by the intense smoke and heat. A second Battalion Chief, who was enroute to the Fire Academy in Columbia, arrived while they were talking. The two Chiefs had Air Packs in their vehicles, geared up and made an attempt to rescue the woman from the rear of the home before the Fire units arrived. They broke the back bedroom window and were halfway into the bedroom when the room flashed over and the flames forced them to exit the building. Engine 18 arrived a short time later. A deck gun was used to knock down the flames and multiple handlines were deployed as Firefighter-Paramedics attempted to bring the fire under control. The home had a heavy fire load which intensified the flames. Crews worked for nearly 45 minutes to gain control of the fire. Firefighters located the woman’s body near the rear of the structure in the bedroom where the man indicated. A pickup truck in front of the home was also destroyed.

The Coroner’s Office was notified. SLED and the State Fire Marshal’s Office were also notified and sent personnel to the scene. This is standard procedure in a fire that involves a death. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Fire units were on the scene for approximately eight hours. The family and neighbors prepared lunch for firefighters and brought it to the scene. The gesture was greatly appreciated by crews.  

Engine 7, Engine 18, Tender 4, Tender 7, Tender 17, Tender 18, Tender 23, Tender 26, Tender 27, Rescue 1, Medic 1, Medic 13, Medic 18, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 107, Car 112, Car 118 and Car 119 responded. Battalion Chief Joey Campbell served as Incident Commander.