One person ended up in hospital and nine were displaced as a result of a Monday early morning fire in West Ashely

Charleston, South Carolina – Monday early morning fire in West Ashely townhome displaced nine people, while one person suffered injuries and was transferred to hospital for treatment. Fortunately, no deaths were reported.

According to the incident report, fire crews were dispatched at the scene at Castlewood Townhomes just before 2:30 a.m. on Monday. Crews with Charleston and Saint Andrews Fire Departments, Charleston County EMS, and Charleston PD responded to the scene.

Once the fire crews arrived at the scene, they saw heavy fire and smoke coming from the roof of the two-story building which was consisted of five townhome units.

Responding firefighters managed to evacuate all the people from the apartments within minutes as the fire was spreading fast across the building. Due to safety concerns, the fire crews also evacuated the people from the neighboring building.

Fortunately, no deaths were reported, but one person suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene. That person was later transferred to hospital for additional treatment, but the condition was stable as the injuries were considered as non-life-threatening.

While the cause of the fire still remains unknown at this point, the initial investigation shows that the fire initially occurred on a rear first-floor patio, spread to the building and then into the attic space.

“Operating smoke alarms were noted inside the structure, however, the exterior fire likely progressed before any interior alarms activated,” Charleston Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh said. “All units in the building sustained varying degrees of smoke, water, and fire damage. One adjacent building suffered thermal damage to the siding, but the fire was brought under control before significant damage occurred.”

The fire completely destroyed the five units and nine people were displaced. The American Red Cross confirmed they are assisting them in finding a new place to stay.

Once more details about the incident are available, we will update the case.