Laurens home destroyed by fire, no injuries reported
Laurens firefighters battle a house fire Monday on East Hampton Avenue.
A residence on East Hampton Avenue in Laurens was completely destroyed by fire Monday as plumes of smoke rose high above the downtown area. City of Laurens firefighters were on the scene of the blaze four minutes after being dispatched at 11:09 a.m., and found the house heavily consumed with fire, said Laurens Fire Chief Neil Roberts.
No one was injured in the fire. Two occupants of the home were able to escape danger after being alerted by a smoke detector, Roberts said.
Roberts also said it is believed a space heater overturned near a mattress in a bedroom and ignited the fire.
“The good thing is that they did have smoke alarms that notified the people in the house that they had to get out,” he said. “That’s one reason there was no loss of life.
With a cold snap this week during which temperatures are expected to dip into the teens, local fire officials have urged caution when using space heaters of all types.
“The biggest thing is to have proper clearance around your heaters and not run electric heaters with extension cords,” Roberts said.
Local fire agencies, including the cities of Laurens and Clinton, are part of the Fire Safe SC program, which provides free smoke alarms and installation to homeowners.
For information on obtaining a free smoke alarm through the state-sponsored program in Laurens, call 864-984-3312 or email Roberts at [email protected].
In Clinton, residents can fill out a smoke alarm request form online at cityofclintonsc.com or call 864-833-2790.
