At 8:43 PM on March 12, 2005, Colleton County (SC) Fire-Rescue responded to a report of a grass fire in the 2600 block of Heirs Corner Road.
Engine 2601 arrived on scene to find a large, rapidly moving woods fire with approximately ten trucks involved. The incident occurred at a used truck and trailer sales facility and junk yard. Engineer Scott Feather immediately requested a second alarm at 1049 hrs, bring two additional Engines, two Tankers, a Brush unit and Medic Unit to the scene. A tractor from the Forestry Commission was also requested.
The humidity was low and winds were blowing over 30 mph with gust recorded at 38 mph. Within minutes the fire had over run Engine 2601's position on Heirs Corner Road. Firefighters reported the fire rolled over their heads as it jumped Engine 2601 and Heirs Corner Road. It quickly spread into the adjacent woods. Several piles of tires had ignited and an eight foot high stack of crossties was now on fire.
Thick black smoke blanketed the scene and visibility was zero. Firefighters donned SCBA to allow them to operate. Heavy smoke covered the northwest side of the City of Walterboro causing visibility problems as far as two miles away at Wal-Mart. City Police, the Sheriff's Office and Highway Patrol blocked all access roads into the area.
A third alarm was requested at 1102 hrs, for three additional Engines, four additional Tankers, another Medic Unit, a second tractor and a mutual aid engine and manpower from the City of Walterboro Fire Department. Power lines along Heirs Corner Road were burned and telephone pedestals were destroyed interrupting phone and cell phone service to some areas. The fire began crowning as it was driven by high winds and approached a nearby trailer park. The Communications Center was instructed to activate the County's reverse 9-1-1 system and alert the residents to evacuate the trailer park as Deputies went door to door ordering the people to leave their homes. The fire easily jumped the fire lines and was moving quickly in the direction of the trailer park.
Through divine intervention, the wind died down for a short period and allowed the two Forestry tractors the opportunity to cut a double wide fire break around the head of the fire. Firefighters with a brush truck, shovels and back packs diligently work on the flanks. Within an hour, the forward movement of the fire was stopped within a few hundred feet of the first mobile home in the trailer park. Firefighters worked for several more hours extinguishing vehicles at the truck and trailer sales and debris piles in the junk yard. After 4 hours and 45 minutes the last unit cleared the scene.
38 vehicles, most of which were used tractor trailer trucks or trailers were destroyed. Multiple piles of tires, truck parts and other debris were burned. Approximately 45 acres were involved, but miraculously no homes were lost. The fire started from a welding torch as workers from the junk yard were removing parts from a truck. No injuries were reported.
Engine 501, Engine 902, Engine 1701, Engine 1801, Engine 1901, Engine 2401, Engine 2601, Walterboro City Engine 3, Tanker 103, Tanker 403, Tanker 1703, Tanker 1802, Tanker 2402, Tanker 2602, Medic 1, Medic 18, Truck 12, Truck 16, Squad 1 responded . The Forestry Commission responded with two tractors and two brush trucks.
45 County Firefighters and four City Firefighters responded. The Incident Command Post was Operated by Firefighter/EMT Bryon Martinson, Firefighter/EMT Lahassandra Brown, Captains Richard Sheffield and Ron Waggett, Chief Barry McRoy and Forestry Ranger Mike Crosby.
