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Published: Saturday, Sep. 29, 2012 / Updated: Sunday, Sep. 30, 2012 06:30 AM

Fort Mill fire still under investigation

FORT MILL -- 

The cause of Monday’s mobile home fire on Sleepy Hollow Road in Fort Mill is undetermined and still under investigation, fire officials say.

Fort Mill Fire Chief Ken Kerber said the structure was an older model mobile home — which burns “hot, heavy and fast” once a fire starts. No one was home at the time the fire broke out.

When firefighters arrived, Kerber said, the mobile home was already “half-embroiled” and its condition was “untenable.”

The electrical fire was ruled accidental.

The homeowner could not be reached on Friday but a family member also living on the road said a few people were living at the house, but she didn’t think power was connected.

Three fire departments responded and crews stayed at the house for four hours, Kerber said, to make sure debris and possessions inside the home did not smoulder and spark the fire again.

At one point, about 30 fire fighters — both volunteer and paid staff — were working to put out the flames.

This week’s blaze is the second mobile home fire since August on Sleepy Hollow Road.

An older model mobile home caught fire around 5 p.m. Aug 2. Neighbors called 911 to report the fire when they saw the smoke from a road over.

No one was home or injured during on that night but the home was completely destroyed.

Kerber said the fires are not related and arson is not suspected in either case.

Fighting fires on Sleepy Hollow Road can be logistically-difficult because there are no water hydrants on the narrow, one way street.

In both blazes, fire crews brought water tanker trucks to the scene which provided enough water to suppress the fire.

Anna Douglas 803-329-4068