Oak Grove, SC (Paul Kirby) – A single-family home in the 100 block of Cedar Vale Drive was heavily damaged by fire Sunday afternoon. Multiple callers dialed 911 about 2:40 p.m. to report the blaze which was consuming the front of the home when firefighters arrived. A second alarm was quickly transmitted which brings a pre-determined additional amount of equipment and manpower. This was done about the time the first fire service resources arrived.
Firefighters quickly went to work fighting the fire while another truck began laying the large supply hose from the closest fire hydrant. It was more than 1,000’ from the house that was on fire. The first truck emptied all its hoses, and hoses from another truck finished stretching the supply line that’s so important. Water from the hydrant sustains the truck that’s set up to battle the blaze. The attack engine was working off the water from its tank and from other trucks on scene. One fire service unit had to block the street because thoughtless motorists were driving across the supply fire hose before it was filled with water. The connection to the hydrant was made just in time for the crews to continue aggressively applying water to the fire. Once the water supply was established, firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control.
A Lexington County EMS unit and its crew helped monitor the firefighters’ health as they battled the blaze in temperatures that were in excess of 97 degrees outdoors. The county’s specially equipped rehab truck was on the scene to provide cooling fans, water, and other resources to ensure that the crews didn’t get over heated.
Firefighters hadn’t even begun to determine the cause of the fire at 3:30 p.m. They were still working to find hidden fire and ensuring that what household items that hadn’t been destroyed were protected. They were also working to move smoke and gasses out of the home so that the atmosphere was clear and they could work without their airpacks.
The fire was reported to be completely out at 3:52 p.m. It took some time for the crews to pick up and reload all their supply hoses on the trucks. Once that was done, Jessamine Road was reopened at about 4:42 p.m.
