It was a busy night for both Easley Police Department and Easley Fire Department responding to two structure fire incidents during the severe thunderstorms on Sunday night. The departments confirmed that the locations of the fires were at Quality Inn located at 5539 Calhoun Memorial Highway, and Brookfall Apartments located at 105 Hillandale Drive.
We spoke with officer Ashley Anderson at EPD, and Chief Josh Anderson at EFD for more details about what happened.
The fire at Brookfall Apartments came in just before 1:00AM. When firefighters arrived, they observed fire and smoke coming from the roof line in one of the buildings. The fire was brought under control in approximately 20 minutes. One building was involved, and the units were evacuated by fire department personnel and officers from the Easley Police Department. Several units in the building sustained smoke damage, but only a couple had more severe fire damage. The Red Cross was on site to assist the residents who were displaced by the fire.
The management of Brookfall Apartments made the following statement:
“Thankfully, everyone got out safely with no injuries. Neighbors saw the fire and began knocking on doors until the Easley Police Department got here to complete the evacuation. We are so grateful to the Easley Police Department and the Easley Fire Department. This could have been a different story had they not gotten here as quickly as they did. I cannot say enough about Red Cross. They were here immediately and worked quickly to help those that were affected. The kindness and compassion shown was above and beyond. While we cannot comment on the extent of the damages and cleanup until we complete the process, we certainly have a big project ahead of us.”
The second fire at Quality Inn and Suites came in at approximately 4:15 AM. Firefighters from EFD along with the assistance of officers from EPD, began evacuating the building. A fire was located in an electrical room and quickly extinguished. Three Easley Police officers who helped evacuate were treated on scene at the second incident for minor smoke inhalation by Pickens County EMS and released.
Several other agencies responded to the incidents along with the Easley Fire Department and Easley Police Department. Crosswell Fire Department and Pickens County EMS were on-sight to assist our first responders. Combined Utilities came to make sure power was shut off to the area for safety, and Red Cross volunteers helped displaced guests and residents.
Both fires are still under investigation at this time.
