Investigators believe fire started when resident was smoking while using home oxygen; neighbor pulled man from the burning camper
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
A Burton man was seriously injured Saturday morning, Oct. 31, after a fire engulfed a camper on Baynard Road, prompting a response from multiple fire and emergency agencies.
According to the Burton Fire District, Beaufort County dispatchers began receiving multiple 911 calls shortly after 8 a.m. reporting a camper on fire. Callers told dispatchers that two people lived in the camper, that residents might still be inside and that several propane tanks were nearby.
When firefighters arrived, they found the camper nearly engulfed in flames and heard explosions coming from the scene.
A neighbor had pulled one adult male resident from the burning camper before firefighters arrived. The man sustained potentially serious injuries and was treated at the scene by Beaufort County EMS before being transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
With reports that another person might still be inside, Burton firefighters entered the burning camper to conduct a search. No additional occupants were found.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, and no other injuries were reported.
Because of the severity of the man’s injuries, investigators called in Buzz, an arson detection dog with the Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District, to assist with the investigation.
Fire officials determined the fire was unintentional and believe it started when the resident was smoking while using home oxygen.
The explosions heard during the fire are believed to have come from the camper’s air conditioning unit and pressurized containers inside the residence.
The Burton Fire District was assisted by Parris Island Fire & Emergency Services, Beaufort County EMS, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department.
According to the district, firefighters have responded to 29 building fires so far in 2026. Those fires have displaced 17 adults and seven children and resulted in eight injuries.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.