Another family homeless as Burton Fire District responds to 2nd home fire in 12 hours

Just after 8 a.m. Saturday morning, the Burton Fire District responded to its second house fire in less than 12 hours, a Fire District release said. They were joined on scene by the MCAS Beaufort Fire Department and the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department

The fire broke out in a double wide mobile home on Kato Lane in Burton, the release said, and smoke and flames were reported by firefighters as they arrived on the scene, according to the release.

Much like in the first fire, this one left a family without a home, according to the release. The fires were also alike in that this home didn’t have a smoke detector.

“Unfortunately the common theme here is no working smoke detectors,” stated Burton Fire Lt. Daniel Byrne in the release. “By the time the residents were able to physically detect the fire it was already too late. Luckily everyone was awake when the fire broke out, were able to escape, and we avoided a real tragedy.”

Four adults and two children were displaced by the fire. The Red Cross assisted the family, and Burton FAST provided them with food and hot drinks, the release said.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in less than 20 minutes, according to the release. However, icy conditions made putting it out difficult, as they affected the water supply in the area.

A resident of the home became aware of the fire when he saw flames climbing a curtain, and was able to get everyone out of the home safely, the report states.

The fire’s cause is still under investigation.

This story was originally published January 6, 2018 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Another family homeless as Burton Fire District responds to 2nd home fire in 12 hours."