Hilton Head woman counting blessings even though villa ‘gutted’ by fire in Sea Pines
Before she saw smoke, she heard a child shouting: “Call 911! Call 911!”
Less than five minutes later came the firetrucks, said Julie Allain, a resident of the Calibogue Club Villas in the Sea Pines Community on Hilton Head Island.
Firefighters with Hilton Head Fire Rescue responded to reports of a house fire at the end of Calibogue Club Place at around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. The fire began on the porch in the backside of the home and quickly spread into the roof and attic areas, resulting in significant damage throughout the home, Hilton Head Fire Rescue officials said in a press release.
As of Thursday, the cause of the fire had not been identified, according to Deputy Fire Marshal Russell Rogers.
Sandra Counts, a local pharmacist and the owner of the villa, was arriving at home just as the fire started. Upon walking inside, Counts said she went to the back of the house to say hello to her friend, who was sitting on the back porch. That was when Counts saw the “tiny fire” igniting on the porch sofa — a flame “the size of a spaghetti pot.”
After briefly trying to douse the fire with a pitcher of water, Counts realized the flames were spreading too quickly to control. Counts called the fire department, and the villa’s three occupants all escaped safely. The friend of Counts, who fled from the villa’s rear exit, was taken to Hilton Head Regional Hospital to be examined for possible smoke inhalation and was released early Wednesday morning. No other injuries were reported.
Counts’ two cats also made it out and were found shortly after. “They still got their whiskers,” Counts said.
Because the unit cannot be occupied at this time, Counts said she is staying with a friend.
The building that caught fire is split into two villas, but because of the concrete wall separating the units, the fire did not spread to the other residence, a resident of the connected villa told The Island Packet. The neighbors, who were renting the space, were able to return inside after carbon monoxide levels were deemed safe.
“The poor people next door — I think she only got out with the dress she had on,” the neighbor said of Counts. “(The villa) is totally gutted.”
Despite the intensity of the fire, Counts was able to salvage some items from the house. Most important, she said, were several framed photographs of her family.
“(The photographs) were still fine, if you just wiped the soot off of them,” she said.
And through it all, Counts is appreciating the silver linings. She said she is keeping a list of good things that have come out of the fire, recounting one heartwarming story: While dining at Poseidon, a Hilton Head bar, a waitress gifted her two free T-shirts because most of her clothes had been lost in the fire.
“I’m a good Christian woman. God’s taking care of me,” Counts said.
Hilton Head Fire Rescue is continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.
Editor’s note: This report was updated on July 22 to include Counts’ account of the fire.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 4:21 PM.
