Fire damages historic buildings
Last Updated on 12/1/2008
Published on 9/7/2008
By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com
The worst property damage in Georgetown County from Tropical Storm Hanna occurred after the storm made landfall near the South Carolina/North Carolina border.
Two historic buildings located next to the Georgetown County Courthouse received heavy smoke damage as a result of electrical fires believed to have been sparked by a malfunctioning transformer.
While on patrol at about 4 a.m. Saturday, a police officer saw flames coming from a transformer behind the two buildings -- one housing the McNair Law Firm and the other Anne Hartis Interiors.
City Assistant Fire Chief Bill Johnson said when firefighters arrived, a power pole behind the buildings was on the ground.
"We are assuming we had an electrical problem," he said, adding there definitely was an electrical surge inside the McNair Law Firm buiding. It's believed the same thing happened in the building owned by attorney Reuben Goude, where Hartis' shop is located.
"The bulk of the fire was in the electrical rooms," Johnson said.
As Hanna's gusty winds continued to blow and smoke from the buildings filled the air, Anne Hartis arrived with her husband, Bill, and was visibly upset.
While using a thermal imaging camera to look for hot spots, firefighters found a cat Hartis had left inside the building so it would escape the storm's elements. The cat was given oxygen and is doing OK.
Jimmy Moore, owner of the McNair Law Firm building said he was "shocked" when he received the call about the fire. He said the firefighters were "doing a good job" keeping the fires confined to small areas of the building.
One firefighter was taken to the hospital because of a shoulder injury he received while on the call. Johnson said the injury was not serious.
First reported at www.gtowntimes.com at 4:30 a.m. Saturday.
