On March 7, severe thunder storms were rocking Beaufort County, S.C. when at approximately 11:45 a.m., two lightning bolts cracked down into downtown Beaufort's historic district, sending residents scrambling to see what had been struck.
At 11:48 a.m., the City of Beaufort Fire Department was notified of a house fire in the historic district. Initial reports stated the house was fully involved, and that the resident was at a separate location suffering from smoke inhalation.
Beaufort's Rescue 1, Engine 1, Tower 1, Engine 12 responded as part of the initial response s well as Port Royal's Engine 5 and Burton Fire District Engine 821 on automatic aid. An ALS ambulance from Beaufort County EMS also responded.
The crew of Rescue 1 was first on scene, gave a report and initiated command, and Engine 1 established a water supply and deployed the attack line. Personnel from Burton's Engine 821 established a R.I.T. team.
Because this home was in the historic area of Beaufort. It was also a relatively small home and appeared to be heavily involved in fire. A defensive operation was declared.
Engine 1's crew deployed a 2.5" hand line with a smooth bore tip - attacking and quickly extinguishing the fire. Electric lines collapsed across the fence line and a hot zone was also established.
Once power was confirmed secured and the home inspected for safety, firefighters began overhaul. While the fire was confined to the front porch and room, the home was a total loss.
The resident was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for smoke inhalation, and because of his elderly age, was flow to a burn unit in Augusta, Ga. as a precaution. He was released the next day.
The cause of the fire was a lightning bolt that struck a large tree immediately adjacent to the home, causing the electrical bolt to jump from the tree to the home. It is believed the resident attempted to extinguish the fire before being removed by a neighbor.
During a safety inspection of the home, prior to overhaul, a bricked in stove pipe was noted above the ceiling, and was only seconds from crashing down. Had firefighters entered this old unoccupied structure, the stage for disaster would have been set.
