Beaufort house fire bursts windows, cause under investigation

One person made it safely out of a Beaufort home late Tuesday morning after a fire started in the living room, according to a Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department news release.

The cause of the Coleman Lane fire, which happened just before noon, is still under investigation, according to the release. There was only one person inside the home at the time of the fire and the victim was safely outside with neighbors when firefighters arrived.

“The neighbor did an excellent job reporting to me that everyone was safely outside the home allowing me to focus on extinguishment efforts,” Lt. Gary Guldner, acting battalion chief, said.

The fire broke through the windows of the living room on the front of single-story home, according to the fire department. Smoke and flames inside the house could be seen from the road when firefighters arrived and forced their way in.

The fire only damaged the living room, but there was smoke damage throughout the home, according to the release. The fire was out about 10 minutes after the fire department arrived.

“This could have gone much worse but as it is, it appears that the home is salvageable,” Guldner said.

The Burton Fire District, Beaufort County EMS and the Beaufort Police Department also responded to the fire, according to the release. First responders were there for about 2 hours.

The American Red Cross is helping the resident financially and with a comfort kit after the fire, according to a news release from the organization.

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Beaufort house fire bursts windows, cause under investigation."