S.C. Firefighter Hurt Saving Two From House Fire
Source Anderson Independent Mail, S.C.
A Powdersville firefighter who helped rescue them was also taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
The fire on Stillwater Drive was reported by a neighbor just before 7:30 p.m.
Powdersville Fire Chief Scott King said his department got to the home within three minutes, but flames were already shooting from the double-wide's roof.
Firefighters had to make three search attempts before they were able to find the man and woman who were inside the home. Their identities were not available Friday night.
King said the man and woman were "semiconscious" when they were found. Little information was available about their conditions Friday night, but King said he didn't think they had life-threatening injuries.
"They weren't trapped in the sense of being trapped underneath something, but they were unable to get out," he said. "We're still investigating."
The man and woman were pulled to safety through a back door, King said.
One of the men who helped them, Powdersville firefighter Eddie Workman, was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Workman has been with the Powdersville Fire Department for about eight years. He lives near the site of the fire, King said. Workman is expected to be all right, King said.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation Friday night.
Firefighters said they heard several small explosions inside the home that may have been linked to oxygen tanks. A firefighter removed at least two oxygen cylinders from the property.
A crew from the Three and Twenty Fire Department also responded to the blaze, as did emergency medical technicians from Pelzer and Belton.
As the fire intensified, the home's vinyl siding began to peel away in sheets. Soon, the home's innards were gone, and the billowing smoke could be seen for miles.
The fire was brought under control in about 25 minutes, but investigators were still dousing flames and checking for hot spots more than an hour later.
All told, about 30 firefighters battled the blaze, but the home was destroyed.
Copyright 2013 - Anderson Independent Mail, S.C.
