Home destroyed by fire between Gaston and South Congaree

Gaston, SC – A doublewide mobile home was heavily damaged by fire Monday morning in the Forest Manor mobile home community between South Congaree and Gaston. The first call regarding the fire came into the county’s 911 center around 9:30 a.m. Firefighters and equipment were immediately dispatched from Gaston, South Congaree, Sharpe’s Hill, Lexington, Sandy Run, and other county fire stations.

Because of a lack of fire hydrants in the area, the battalion chief out of South Congaree requested additional water tankers respond. This request brought trucks from Pelion, Boiling Springs, Red Bank, and other stations as well. Eventually, there were as many as 10 pieces of equipment and 21 county firefighters on the scene fighting the fire.

A Lexington County EMS crew was also dispatched to this fire. They stood by to assist the firefighters who were coming off the fire attack. It is standard operating procedure to have a medically trained crew on location to ensure the fire personnel are safe and don’t become overexerted while battling the blaze.

One young lady that was at the home when the emergency responders arrived, had some minor burns on her hand as a result of the fire. She said that the fire started from a pan of grease that was left on the stove.

Neighbors who were watching the firefighters said that several people lived in the home, but most of them had already left for work. They described the neighborhood as quiet and said that for the most part, everyone watched out for each other’s homes and property.

The county has placed the estimated damage to the home as approximately $25,000.