<strong>From staff reports</strong>

Burton and MCAS Beaufort firefighters, along with Beaufort County EMS, responded the morning of Friday, Feb. 11 to a possible house fire in which a female resident was found and removed from the back bedroom of her smoke-filled home.

Just before 6:30 a.m. today, Burton firefighters responded to a reported house fire on Detour Rd in Seabrook. Initial reports indicated that while no flames were seen, the home was “full of smoke,” and bystanders were trying to remove a female occupant, who was unresponsive, in a rear bedroom.

Burton fire crews arrived on scene and reported light smoke coming from the home and quickly made entry, locating a semi-conscious female in a rear bedroom, and carried her to the front lawn to waiting Beaufort County EMS personnel who treated and transported the occupant.

There were no working smoke alarms in the home.

Firefighters determined the smoke was caused by cooking left on the stove; however, it is unknown if the smoke caused the female to become unresponsive, or if she suffered a medical emergency.

Burton firefighters helped clear smoke from the home and installed a smoke alarm.

“Every fire death the Burton Fire District has responded to has been in a home without a working smoke alarm,” stated Burton Firefighter/Paramedic Ted Bouthiller, who was first to arrive on scene to the Detour Rd home. “This morning we were simply lucky we didn’t have another.”