A Stanley Ave family lost their home to an early morning fire Sunday 11-June. The location is a rural dirt road approximately 2 miles south of Walterboro, SC. At 03:43, 9-1-1 was notified of a well-involved house fire at 461 Stanley Ave. Colleton County (SC) Engine 1 arrived to find the single-story, wooden dwelling fully involved. The home was originally a farm house constructed in the 1920s. The homeowner was awakened by the smell of smoke and found fire in the front of the residence. He was able to quickly evacuate the other family members to safety, however several dogs and two birds perished in the blaze.

The family made attempts to rescue the animals, but were driven from the home by the fire and thick smoke. Firefighter-paramedics deployed one 2-1/2 handline and three 1-3/4 lines to combat the fire. Crews worked for nearly 35 minutes to bring the fire under control and were on the scene for five hours performing overhaul. The family lost most of their belongings. A pickup truck and boat were also destroyed. Water supply was conducted using a tender shuttle from a pressurized hydrant approximately two miles from the incident location. Water supply was initially hampered due to a live power line that fell across the single lane dirt road. The fire appears to have been electrical in origin. The American Red Cross is assisting the family.

Engine 1, Engine 27, Tender 1, Tender 4, Tender 8, Tender 26, Medic 1, Medic 13, Medic 26, Battalion 1, Car 110, Car 112, and Car 118 responded. Battalion Chief Scott O’Quinn served as Incident Commander.

Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue

Barry W. McRoy photo

Barry W. McRoy photo

Barry W. McRoy photo

Barry W. McRoy photo

Barry W. McRoy photo

Barry W. McRoy photo