08/March/2018 – Structure Fire – “B” Shift

Incident # 18-01658 – A 66 year old Colleton County man was critically injured following an explosion in his home at 109 Caesar Lane Thursday afternoon 08-March. At 16:32 Fire-Rescue units were sent to the area of Ritter Crossroads for the report of a structure fire. There was some confusion about the location of the incident. A Sheriff’s Deputy was in the area and advised there was no fire at the reported location. He began searching the surrounding area and located the fire about a mile away on Caesar Lane off of Saxby Hill Road. The deputy reported over the radio the home was fully involved. Engine 6 arrived to find the singlewide mobile home almost completely destroyed with half of the structure already collapsed. There was evidence of a explosion with debris littering the scene in front and behind the home. Firefighters deployed two handlines and quickly knocked down the fire. A propane tank against the back of the house posed some danger. One crew cooled the tank while the second crew extinguished the house fire.

The man’s brother, who lived next door, advised he heard an explosion and found the singlewide mobile home well involved. He found his brother trying to crawl out of the burning building, so he was able to pull him out of the house and to safety. Someone pulled up to the yard about that time and they placed the injured man in the car and drove him to Colleton Medical Center. The man suffered second and third degree burns over about 70 percent of his body. The hospital staff did a terrific job stabilizing him in the ED. They immediately placed the C.A.R.E. Flight helicopter on standby and then flew the man in critical condition to the Still Burn Center at Doctor’s Hospital in Augusta GA.

The man’s brother advised investigators that his brother had been smelling gas in the house for a couple of weeks prior to the fire. The patient also told the hospital staff the stove exploded. S.L.E.D. was called to perform an investigation on the fire. That investigation is ongoing. No foul play is suspected. Units were on the scene for about seven hours.

Engine 1, Engine 6, Tender 1, Tender 6, Tender 12, Tender 22, Medic 6, Battalion 1, Car 105, Car 107, Car 112, Car 116 and Car 117 responded. Battalion Chief Brent Dalton served as Incident Commander.