Apartment Building, Residential

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system activated for porch fire at apartment complex

Port Royal fire crews respond to a porch fire at a Lowcountry apartment on Friday morning.

Firefighters with the City of Beaufort-Town of Port Royal Fire Department and the Burton Fire District responded to the 1000 building at the Preserve at Port Royal apartment community.

Upon their arrival, fire crews say found a porch fire on the second story of the apartment building.

Fire crews say “damage was mostly limited to the porch but the heat also broke the windows between the porch and the apartment so there was smoke and minor heat damaga inside the apartment along with some water damage.”

Deputy chief of operations, Tim Ogden, says porch fires are an area of concern for the fire crew

“At the time these units were constructed the code required a residential sprinkler system which is in each apartment here,” Ogden said. “However, residential systems are designed by code to save lives by giving occupants time to escape a fire, not fully protect the property. The code did not require a sprinkler head on the porch and these porches are thus unprotected and susceptible to fire damage.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.