Arson suspected in Beaufort County house fire, deputies say

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Tuesday house fire on County Shed Road in Burton as possible arson, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.

It is the sixth fire north of the Broad River investigated as suspicious by the department in about a month.

Burton Fire District officials found the garage door open and what appeared to be forced entry from a door in the garage that led into the house, according to the report.

A grill appeared to be suspiciously placed with lighter fluid near it, the report states.

The homeowner was not at the house at the time the fire started. Her son was driving by when he saw a vehicle he didn’t recognize in the driveway.

The son stopped and was told by the vehicle’s owner that he noticed smoke coming from the home. The two men went to the back of the residence, where they found a small fire beneath a window.

The men used a garden hose to put out most of the fire.

The son told deputies he could smell lighter fluid in the area and noticed the grill was cold to the touch.

Last week, a woman was inside her St. Helena Island home when she smelled smoke. She went outside and found the front of her home on fire. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office also is investigating that fire as suspicious.

Arson is suspected in four other recent fires:

• A vehicle fire on Lady’s Island on July 10.
• A structure fire on St. Helena on July 8.
• An abandoned mobile home in Gray’s Hill June 21.
• An abandoned home in Seabrook June 28.

This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 8:06 PM.