Lady’s Island couple reported golf cart fire that spread to home and killed family’s dog

A fire at a home in the Red Bluff neighborhood on Lady’s Island killed the family’s small dog in the early hours of April 2, according to Scott Harris, the public information officer of the Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District.

Four fire units and an ambulance responded to the fire around 1:42 a.m., Harris said.

Neither homeowner was injured or transported to the hospital.

The marshfront homeowners awoke to an “orange blaze” and the smell of smoke before 1:40 a.m., Harris said.

He said the couple noticed a golf cart on fire in a breezeway under the home.

The homeowners tried to extinguish the golf cart fire with a garden hose, but it had already spread to the floor above the breezeway and the walls of the home, according to Harris.

Both the homeowners and first responders tried to save the small-breed family dog but were unsuccessful, Harris said.

The home, which Harris said had smoke detectors installed, sustained “severe damage” in the fire.

Harris said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

“Although it is likely, we haven’t narrowed the cause to the charger (for the golf cart) at this time,” he said Tuesday.

Golf cart fires in Beaufort County

Harris said the fire district has seen several fires in the past that were caused by the charger for a golf cart.

Here are some tips for keeping your golf cart charger in safe condition:

1. Don’t place any rags, papers or boxes on or close to a chargers.
2. Always unplug a charger from the outlet when you’re not using it.
3. Charge your cart’s batteries in a well-ventilated area.
4. Match the battery charger with the correct lead acid batteries: Battery chargers are not universal. Check your user guide before plugging in.

Katherine Kokal

The Island Packet

843-560-9158

Katherine Kokal graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and joined The Island Packet newsroom in 2018. Before moving to the Lowcountry, she worked as an interviewer and translator at a nonprofit in Barcelona and at two NPR member stations. At The Island Packet, Katherine covers Hilton Head Island’s government, environment, development, beaches and the all-important Loggerhead Sea Turtle. She has earned South Carolina Press Association Awards for in-depth reporting, government beat reporting, business beat reporting, growth and development reporting, food writing and for her use of social media.