Bluffton mobile home fire was sparked by unattended incense, officials say
A Tuesday afternoon fire that rendered a Bluffton mobile home uninhabitable was caused by unattended incense, according to fire officials.
Crews with the Bluffton Township Fire District were dispatched around 2 p.m. Tuesday to the accidental fire on Simmonsville Road, finding smoke and flames coming from the single-wide mobile home. One person was inside at the time but was able to safely exit the residence.
The blaze was extinguished within minutes, the department said, but the home was heavily damaged and deemed a “total loss” aside from its outer shell. There were no working smoke alarms inside the home, investigators determined.
Fire crews temporarily closed the southbound lane of Simmonsville Road near its intersection with New Mustang Drive, causing minor traffic delays in the area. The roadway reopened shortly before school dismissal and the evening rush hour.
In a Wednesday press release, Bluffton fire officials advised that any open flame — including candles, cigarettes and incense — should never be left unattended. They also emphasized the importance of having working smoke alarms in every home, testing them at least once a month and replacing their batteries at least once per year.
House fires are more common in the winter months due to increased use of space heaters and other electrical equipment, experts say.
