A homeowner has been cited for allowing a prescribed burn to spread into a massive brush fire that covered more than 325 acres in Chesterfield County, officials from the South Carolina Forestry Commission said. According to officials the brush fire started as a 27-acre prescribed burn at a property off McQueen Road.
The homeowner was cited for allowing fire to spread to lands and was given a citation. Officials said the homeowner can pay the fine or go to court. Multiple fire departments, including the South Carolina Forestry Commission, battled the fire that spread through an area of mature pine trees off Highway 1 and Teals Mill Road, near Patrick. Officials said Saturday’s rain showers helped put out the wildfire.
Cheraw Fire Chief Marvin Murray said at one point, the fire threatened 10 to 15 homes, and most of the residents evacuated for their safety, but those residents were able to return to their homes. Officials did say that three structures and two boats were damaged.
Channel 9 learned a firefighter who was working with a bulldozer on a containment line was injured but has been released from the hospital. The fire was just one of several burning across the Charlotte region Friday, causing smoke and hazy conditions in the city.
Officials said there were controlled burns in Chester and Cleveland counties and another in Charlotte’s Steele Creek neighborhood.