The fire at Sumter Casket Company burned for most of Monday afternoon. (Source: WIS)
Tuesday, July 19th 2016, 8:56 am EDTWednesday, July 20th 2016, 6:36 am EDT
By Jeremy Turnage, Digital Content Manager
SUMTER COUNTY, SC (WIS) -
The Sumter Fire Department continues to try and determine what caused a massive fire at a casket business on South Magnolia Street on Monday afternoon.
The Sumter Casket Company building caught fire just after noon on Monday, with firefighters from Shaw Air Force Base, the Columbia Fire Department, the Camden Fire Department, and the Clarendon Fire Department all working to extinguish the blaze.
Firefighters worked throughout Monday to put out the fire and and overnight into Tuesday to maintain any flare ups that occurred.
The investigation continues into a cause and Sumter County Fire Division Chief Brian Christmas said nothing has yet been determined. He said the process is a slow one and does not have a time frame for when the investigation might be completed.
He said a portion of the building was left standing, so it was not a total loss. Damages are estimated at about $750,000 for the building and $750,000 for the contents. The part of the building saved is estimated at $100,000 and the estimated amount of contents saved is $50,000.
Christmas said the business was insured.
“The offices burned,” Christmas said, “but there was no fire in part of the warehouse. I think they are going to try to create some office space there for the time being and try to get the business up and going again.”
He said the portion of the building left standing is about 125-feet by 50-feet wide.
Copyright 2016 WIS. All rights reserved.
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SUMTER, SC (WIS) -
The fire at the Sumter Casket Company is under control, but firefighters will remain on scene throughout Monday night.
Fire crews were called to the Sumter Casket Company, located at 209 S. Magnolia St., on Monday after a fire broke out at approximately 12:40 p.m. Crews had the fire under control by 6 p.m.
The Lafayette Bridge on U.S. Highway 15 reopened after being closed majority of the day so emergency crews could get to the facility. However, drivers are urged to drive slowly and use caution in the area since light smoke still remains. However, some roadways surrounding the business, including Silver Street, will remain closed overnight as firefighters continue to monitor the situation.
RELATED: See photos of the fire at Sumter Casket Company.
The Sumter Fire Department was assisted by US Air Force Firefighters from Shaw Air Force Base, Columbia Fire, Camden Fire, and the Clarendon Fire Department.
Fire officials say there were no injuries in this four-alarm fire. Officials said eight employees were inside the facility at the time of the fire. All were able to escape successfully.
Officials say one building on the property is a total loss, though there are other buildings that might have also been affected by the fire.The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
Firefighters used a lot of water from hydrants and said city residents can expect discolored water for a period of time. The City will be doing all that it can to clear up the discolored water as soon as possible. If you continue to experience discolored water over the next few days, please contact Public Services at 803-436-2558.
Copyright 2016 WIS. All rights reserved
