Fire crews rescue man trapped in Spartanburg Fire Department elevator shaft

PHOTO: Crews from Cowpens Rescue and the North Spartanburg Fire Department helped to rescue a man trapped in an elevator shaft while trying to make repairs at the Spartanburg Fire Department, according to Spartanburg FD's Official Facebook page. According to the post, a repairman was doing routine work when a valve failure cause the elevator car to fall from the second floor and trap a repair man underneath the elevator car. Spartanburg FD says that crews were able to raise the elevator car around six to ten feet so that the worker could climb out on his own. The worker was transported to the hospital for assessment, according to the fire department.
WHNS-TV Fox 21 Greenville

Aiken crews battle brush blaze, car fire in same area

VIDEO: City of Aiken crews battled a brush fire Thursday afternoon along Dyches Road. The fire was reported around 1:30 p.m. on the road just south of the University of South Carolina Aiken, according to Aiken Department of Public Safety dispatchers. No structures were threatened, but crews were working to get it under control around 1:45 p.m. Coincidentally, a car caught fire and burned in the same area and around the same time, but the Aiken Department of Public Safety told News 12 the events were unrelated. A viewer sent News 12 some video of the car fire that happened at 1:20 p.m. in the McDonald’s parking lot on Aiken-Augusta Highway just east of where Dyches Road runs alongside the highway. Also Thursday, the Hitchcock Woods Foundation planned a 40-acre controlled burn not far away.
WRDW-TV CBS 12 Augusta

Local group offering much-needed support to Lowcountry first responders and their families

Suicide is a major problem amongst first responders nationwide and across the Lowcountry. One local organization is working to bring awareness and offer support for those who need it. “A very terrible thing. We lose more first responders every year to suicide then we do line of duty deaths and that’s very sad,” said Gerald Mishoe, executive director for the Lowcountry Firefighter, EMS and 911 Telecommunicator Team. So, they decided to do something to address mental health issues among first responders. “We lost nine Charleston firefighters in 2007. That was the thing that really got us started because we realized the people needed help, and there wasn’t any help available,” said Mishoe. The organization has 20 mental health experts on hand to help firefighters, emts and telecommunicators. The group now helps with needs across 23 counties in lower South Carolina.
WCBD-TV NBC 2 Charleston

Fire crews respond to downtown Greenville restaurant

Fire crews responded to a downtown Greenville restaurant Thursday evening after reports of a fire. Greenville Fire Marshal Tristan Johnson said crews were doing repairs on the roof of Tsunami Restaurant, at 106 East North Street, when a fire broke out. Fire crews responded and put out the small fire but needed to cut a hole into the roof to stop it from spreading, Johnson said. Johnson could not confirm smoke or water damage inside the restaurant. Employees were inside the restaurant at the time of the fire and were evacuated, according to Johnson. The owner told WYFF News 4 that the building has been deemed safe by fire officials.
WYFF-TV NBC 4 Greenville

Upstate community grieving after beloved firefighter from Fountain Inn passes away

The Upstate community is mourning the loss of a young firefighter taken too soon. The Spartanburg County coroner and SC Highway Patrol say 23-year-old Fountain Inn native Tyler Warfield was killed after a car collided with his motorcycle around 8:45 AM on Wednesday, February 24. Chief Mike Huppmann with Clear Spring Fire and Rescue says Warfield was an avid worker who always wanted to learn. “This is what he wanted to do," Huppmann said. “That was his goal, and he was living his dream of becoming a firefighter." Unfortunately, that dream was cut short when Warfield, who had just gotten off work at Clear Spring—where he was a full-time employee—was on his way to his second job at Reidville Fire Department, where he was a part-time employee. “He is family," Reidville fire chief Patrick Evatt said. “He is family to me just like he is to Chief Huppmann.” Evatt’s department was first on the scene.
WHNS-TV Fox 21 Greenville

Bluffton Fire District responds to fully engulfed garage

PHOTOS: The Bluffton Fire District and Beaufort County EMS responded to a structure fire in the Westbury Park Subdivision on Wednesday around 4 p.m. When crews arrived on scene they found a detached garage heavily involved in fire. Crews quickly got the fire under control. The Buffton Fire District Fire Marshall’s Office is working to determine the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office assisted on scene.
WTOC-TV CBS 11 Savannah

Deputies investigate deadly house fire in Florence County

One person died in a house fire Wednesday morning on East Effingham Highway in Florence County, according to Captain Michael Page with the Howe Springs Fire Department. “The first arriving crew reported a small single-family residence with significant fire involvement and received additional information that there was possibly someone trapped inside," Page said. He added they searched the home and found the victim in a bedroom. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene, Page said. “We strongly encourage you to take a moment and check your smoke alarms and reach out to your local fire department if you need assistance," he said. The South Carolina State Fire Marshal’s office had been informed of the fatality and sent a representative to collect data.
WPDE-TV ABC 15 Florence