Family loses home in blaze

No one is hurt after flames spread from kitchen stove area of rental home

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James Island and city of Charleston firefighters put out house fire at a one-story house on Secessionville Road on James Island. Watch »

James Island — Flames erupted in a 74-year-old woman's kitchen Thursday after she turned on the stove to cook dinner at her Secessionville Road home.

Ruth Springer lost much of the rental home's contents, but she's happy that no one was hurt.

About 6 p.m., Springer turned on a burner to heat up a pan to fry fish. "The circuit shorted. I heard a pop, pop," Springer said. "The next thing, the kitchen was up in flames."

Springer sprayed the flames with a garden hose until about 50 Charleston and James Island firefighters arrived. Their battle to extinguish the fire was brief — two or three minutes, authorities said.

Still, the fast-moving flames gutted about 40 percent of the home, Charleston fire Battalion Chief John Poston said.

"Everything in there is about gone," Springer said. "Thank God everybody's OK."

Springer has lived six years in the home near Stiles Bee Avenue in the Westchester neighborhood. She said she shared the house with a daughter, son and great-grandchild.

The Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross was en route late Thursday to help the family. Springer planned to spend the night with another daughter on Johns Island, she said.

Reach Nadine Parks at 937-5573 or nparks@postand courier.com.