Occupants escape unharmed after 3rd alarm fire in Pawleys Island

Five occupants of a Pawleys Island home were displaced March 27 when a backyard brushfire spread to their residence in the Hagley Estates community.

Midway Fire Rescue responded to the scene along with units from the City of Georgetown Fire Department and Murrells Inlet/Garden City Fire Rescue. Midway Chief Doug Eggiman said the call came in around 1:16 a.m., and the fire was extinguished within 40 minutes.

“There was a large brushfire in the backyard that spread to the residence, and we are still trying to determine the ignition source,” Eggiman said.

Once the fire reached the 263 Hagley Drive home, Eggiman said it spread up the side of house and into the attic through spaces in the wall. Pinpointing the source of the fire, he said, could be difficult.

“The scene is still under investigation, and we are still looking into the source of the fire,” Eggiman said. “But what we do know is there was a large area of brush and pine straw in the yard that came right up to the structure and it looks like now, that is where the fire started.

“Knowing exactly what caused the brush and pine straw to ignite might not be so easy to determine.”

Eggiman said three adults and two children were able to escape the fire, but did so, he said, with only the clothes on their backs.

“There is a considerable amount of damage to the home and its contents,” Eggiman said. “We were able to put the occupants in touch with the American Red Cross, and they will supply the family assistance with food, clothing, lodging and other essentials.”

The family was fortunate, Eggiman said, because one of the occupants woke up after smelling smoke and alerted other family members.

“There was a lot of smoke inside the house,” Eggiman said. “I can’t emphasize the importance of smoke detectors. In my opinion, you can never have enough.”

Photo Credit: Mrs. Nancy Crawford