Pelion, SC (Paul Kirby) – An old farmhouse that sat in a broom-straw field near the intersection of Pelion and Clayhill Roads burned Tuesday morning. Fire trucks and personnel from across southern Lexington County responded because water tankers were needed to supply the necessary fire flow. There are no fire hydrants close by. The fire was reported about 7:00 a.m. When the first fire service equipment arrived, they reported that the old wooden house and a portion of an outbuilding were fully involved in fire.
No one has lived in the old home for years. It had weathered plank siding that was almost black with age before the fire. There was a tin roof and a detached portion that could have been an additional bedroom or a kitchen at some point. This was common in the days before air conditioning was available in hot southern homes. There was an outbuilding that was damaged that looked as if it were built in the same period as the house.
It was apparent that the fire was not caused by any of the actions that start many house fires. It had no electricity connected to it and no one was supposed to be living in it. A fire service battalion chief requested that a deputy from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department respond to make a report regarding the suspicious nature of the fire.
All of the fire service equipment had cleared the scene by approximately 9:30 a.m.
