Damage substantial in Daniel Island blaze

DANIEL ISLAND -- Charleston firefighters say it will probably be a while until they know what ignited the blaze that gutted a large office building and left a trail of smoke hours afterward.

Firefighters at the Daniel Island substation responded to the two-story structure at 899 Island Park Drive within a minute of receiving the 2:38 a.m. call, but the building's roof and second floor already were engulfed, according to Mark Ruppel, spokesman for the Charleston Fire Department.

"By the time we got the call, it was out of control," Ruppel said.

The roof collapsed within minutes of their arrival, Deputy Chief John Tippett said.

Ruppel said the fire was under control within an hour but burned on for at least five hours.

Crews were still on scene Tuesday afternoon to prevent it from reigniting.

The offices inside, which included those of a pediatrician and orthodontist, were a complete loss. It's still unknown whether the structure can be salvaged, Ruppel said.

The damage was so extensive that it may be a while until an investigation can determine what caused the fire, he said.

No one was hurt in the fire.

The Parkwood Pediatric Group announced it will continue seeing patients at its West Ashley office at 1243 Savannah Highway. All Daniel Island appointments have been transferred to the West Ashley office with the same physician and time. Anyone with questions should call 556-8110.

Reach Andy Paras at 937-5589 or at twitter.com/andyparas.