Red Bank, SC (Paul Kirby) – A fire destroyed a home that the first callers described as unoccupied in the 100 block of Squirrel Hollow Road in the Red Bank community Monday morning. The fire was reported just before 4:00 a.m.
Squirrel Hollow Road connects Wilson Street with Old Orangeburg Road just south of Red Bank United Methodist Church. It is close to the offices of C.E. Taylor Septic Service and is a generally quiet area that sits off the fringes of the old Mill Hill, home to most of the mill workers from the Red Bank Mill that has been closed for decades.
This scene is approximately a mile from the Red Bank fire station and the first due crews found the small, single family home fully engulfed in fire when they pulled up. This area does have fire hydrants, and Engine 19 out of Pine Grove dropped a supply line into Engine 24, Red Bank’s primary engine, who already had its attack lines committed. Within a short period, the fire was under control.
Firefighters and equipment remained on the scene for some time mopping up hot spots and making sure the fire was out. The fire service has deemed the home a total loss.
The cause of the fire is being looked into by the fire service. They haven’t released the exact cause at this time.
