Fire departments across the Midlands worked together as crews faced a 2-alarm apartment and a rollover crash with entrapment

By Noah Feit
The Herald

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — It was a busy morning on Monday for emergency responders in Lexington County.

Multiple fire crews, led by the Irmo Fire District, respond to a fire that gutted an apartment building by Bush River Road.

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Crews responded to the 2-alarm fire in an apartment building in the 5300 block of Bush River Road, fire district officials said in a news release. That’s in a part of Columbia between St Andrews Road (more on that later) and Saluda Shoals Park.

The fire was well established and burning through the attic when crews arrived, according to the release. An aggressive search was mounted based on multiple reports of people trapped, but officials said they were “happy to report that no victims were found inside.”

The fire was brought under control with help from the Columbia, Lexington County and West Columbia fire departments, according to the release.

There were eight apartments in the building, and four were destroyed, officials said. Two more were heavily damaged and the other two suffered water damage, leaving 23 people displaced, according to the release.

One person was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, and no firefighters were hurt, officials said.

Crews were expected to remain for the afternoon, mopping up hot spots.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Officials did not say if foul play is suspected.

While the Irmo Fire District was battling the burning building at the apartment complex, there was a serious car crash about 2 miles away.

Members of the Lexington County Fire Service helped out and responded to the wreck on St Andrews Road by the intersection with Murraywood Drive , according to a release.

Two vehicles collided in the intersection and one overturned, trapping the injured driver inside, officials said. Crews quickly removed the roof from the vehicle and pulled the driver, whose injuries were called moderate but not life-threatening, according to the release.

Two lanes on the busy stretch of St Andrews Road were blocked, and drivers were warned to expect delays in the area.

“Whenever there is a major incident in the Midlands, the fire departments across the region work together to make sure that resources are available and emergency calls are always answered, regardless of jurisdiction,” Irmo Fire District officials said in the release. “Today was a great example of how our system works.”

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