CAMDEN, S.C. — Fire crews in Kershaw County are watching for hotspots after a brush fire broke out near Interstate 20 Friday afternoon.
Will Glover, Kershaw County’s Director of Emergency Services, said that because of the fire's remote location, the South Carolina Forestry Commission needed to help.
"It was a limited access fire, meaning we couldn’t really get many of our trucks to where they needed to be because of the dense vegetation and trees," Glover said. "We notified South Carolina Forestry Commission, and they responded with two bulldozers. We protected the structures in the area from the fire and made sure that the fire wouldn’t get close to any houses or vehicles. We got a break around it, and we allowed the fire to burn to the break, so we don’t have any issues with it jumping the break later on throughout the night."
Glover said that with hot, dry conditions in the Midlands, the oppressive heat doesn’t just increase the risk of wildfires. It can also take an immense toll on the firefighters battling those blazes.
"A heat index of 105, 110 degrees outside it really takes a toll on our firefighters," he said. "So, worktimes are shorter. Because of the heat outside, we will have to call in extra resources to make sure we have enough people that we can rotate our crews in and out.”
Glover said fire prevention is everyone’s responsibility and encouraged residents to use care when burning items outdoors.
"We just urge people to be cautious. If you can hold off on burning any of your yard debris, please do," he said. "But if you have to burn it, make sure that a water source [is] close to it and you maintain a visual of it at all times.”
While the fire along I-20 is out, investigators don’t know what started the blaze.