Four families displaced after Darlington fire
Courtesy of Darlington Fire Department
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Four Darlington families were displaced Monday night after fire broke out at the Brockington Heights Apartments located at 201 Saleeby Loop.
Chief Pat Cavanaugh of the Darlington Fire Department says the fire call came in around 10:30 p.m. on January 23, after a ground floor apartment resident noticed smoke in her bedroom.
“By the time the engine crew got there, the bottom apartment was fully involved and the fire breached into the second story. So in less than six minutes, two apartments were heavily involved and the fire was going to the roof,” says Cavanaugh.“We had two apartments heavily damaged and two with smoke damage, and a total of four families displaced at this point.”
He says it took firefighters about 45 minutes to one hour to get the fire under control. DFD responded with three fire engines and a ladder truck. Personnel from Palmetto Rural Fire District covered the Darlington station during the incident.
“The cause is under investigation. It does not look suspicious,” says Cavanaugh.
American Red Cross disaster-trained volunteers are assisting the 15 displaced persons by providing financial assistance for food, clothing, lodging and other essentials, and comfort kits containing personal hygiene items.
The Red Cross website provides this relevant reminder: “Every household should develop a fire escape plan and practice it several times a year and at different times of the day. Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Test them every month and replace the batteries when needed.”
