Gaston, SC (Paul Kirby) – Firefighters are mopping up a structure fire on Bitternut Court near Gaston that literally burned the building to the ground before firefighters arrived. This was destroyed in a short period of time before fire equipment could even arrive on the scene.
Multiple callers had reported the fire after the first person saw it and summonsed the fire service to respond. They came loaded for bear with a full structural response but when they pulled in, there wasn’t much left of the fire to fight.
An attack truck and some manpower were left on the scene and tankers were still being used to haul water back and from a nearby fire hydrant. Most of the equipment and personnel were cleared to return to their quarters quickly. Before many of them could get back in, a furnace fire off Rhoda Rish Rd. sent them dashing off again.
With wind speeds approaching 20 miles per hour and the relative humidity, now (around 10 a.m.) at just above 50%, today is not a good day to consider outdoor burning or burning of any type. Although it may seem a perfect and beautiful day for outdoor work, as cold fronts move in, the humidity in our area usually drops causing grass and brush fires to spread and intensify quickly.
