Fire damages downtown house, burns occupant

A fire forced three men from a house in downtown's Elliotborough neighborhood early today and sent one of them an Augusta hospital with burn injuries, the Charleston Fire Department said.

The blaze reported at 3:28 a.m. left most of the home at 21 Sires Street with significant fire and smoke damage. It also badly scorched the wall of a next-door house.

Battalion Chief Richard Williams arrived on the narrow lane between Spring and Bogard streets to see flames shooting from both stories of the house.

"The front half of the house was fully involved," Williams said.

Firefighters sent crews inside for search and rescue, though it turned out that the College-age men inside had already escaped, he said. Crews then spent about 10 minutes bringing the flames under control. Two firefighters suffered minor leg injuries while attacking the blaze. Both were from the Coming Street fire station.

Williams said the fire started on the porch of the home, but investigators had not determined the cause.

Authorities consider at least three other recent fires downtown suspicious, and possibly part of a pattern of similar fires going back about five years. Most started on porches or in piles of debris outside houses.

Residents also evacuated 19 Sires St., the home damaged next door, though it appeared they would be able to return.

Check Charleston.net later today for more details.