Fire damages Sea Pines home

A fire that broke out just before 9 p.m. Friday severely damaged a Sea Pines Plantation home.

No one was living in the 13 Forest Drive house, said Joheida Fister, fire marshal for Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue.

Despite heavy rain, the blaze, which originated in the attic, burned through sections of the roof. The living area of the one-story house had heavy smoke and water damage, Fister said.

Firefighters had the fire out about 40 minutes after the call came in. Four engines, two medics, a truck company and a battalion chief responded, Fister said.

A Hilton Head deputy chief broke his ankle while working the fire. The blaze remains under investigation.

Hilton Head Fire and Rescue took 30 calls during a three-hour stretch from just before 7 until just before 11 p.m., Fister said. The high volume of calls was a result of severe weather.

One of those calls was for a separate structure fire on Spruce Court on Hilton Head. In that case, lightning likely struck a propane tank, causing the house's deck to catch on fire, Fister said.