Local firefighters respond to two fires following storm
Local firefighters responded to two structure fires last Thursday, Aug. 9, following a thunderstorm that produced strong lightning and heavy rain.
A home located at 1205 Hooper Creek Road in the Red Fox Country Club subdivision was destroyed. Firefighters also fought a fire on Joy Lane in the Sunny View community the same night.
Columbus Fire Chief Bobby Arledge said Columbus received a call at 6:06 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 9 from a man who said there was smoke coming from the eaves of the home on Hooper Creek Road.
Firefighters responded within 5 to 6 minutes, and Arledge said once firefighters arrived flames were coming out of the sides and roof of the home.
The man and woman who reside at the home were safely outside when firefighters arrived, Arledge said.
“We sent two crews in the front door to put [the fire] out, but the roof started falling in and we pulled out and started a defensive attack,” Arledge said.
Arledge said because of the severity of the storm and evidence from the fire itself, firefighters have determined the fire was caused by a lightning strike. He said the fire started in the attic and burned the entire attic before coming through to the rest of the house, which is an indicator lightning caused the fire.
Firefighters got a lot of items out of the house both Thursday night and Friday morning, Arledge said, but the 3,800-square-foot structure was destroyed.
The Columbus Fire Department was assisted by fire departments from Green Creek, Mill Spring, Landrum, Tryon and Saluda. Polk County Emergency Services also attended, as well as the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County American Red Cross.
The Sunny View Fire Department responded to the Joy Lane fire and was assisted by Mill Spring and departments out of Rutherford County. No other information was available as of press time on the Sunny View fire.