At 6:31 A.M. on Sunday, September 7, 2008, Savannah firefighters responded to the area of West 36th Street at Barnard Street for a structure fire. When crews arrived at 6:33, three houses in the West 200 block of 36th Street were burning. Firefighters made entry into two homes to ensure all occupants had escaped, but fire conditions made entry impossible in a third home. All occupants had escaped before firefighters arrived. One person complained of respiratory distress and was transported by MedStar EMS to Memorial Hospital.
Structural damage from the fires quickly forced crews into defensive operations. Fourteen units responded to the incident that was brought under control around 8:00 A.M. Firefighters remained on scene for several more hours managing small spot fires, cleaning up, and packing equipment. One home at 212 W 36th Street was completely destroyed by fire, while the two on either side at 208 and 216 W 36th Street sustained heavy damage.
The destroyed home was an unoccupied structure under renovation, but 11 people were displaced from the other two homes. The American Red Cross is assisting those fire victims.
Savannah Chatham Metro Police assisted with traffic control and security during the incident.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
