INDIAN LAND, S.C. — A firefighter with the Pineville Fire Department shared a harrowing story from his experience battling an intense fire in Indian Land this past weekend.
“Once we turn the block, the smoke is in real low, so you can’t even see the house, there’s so much smoke,” Adam Ullman said in a video shared online.
Ullman says the smoke from a fire on Baker Creek Avenue this past Sunday spoke volumes about what they had experienced inside.
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire conditions. The Pineville Fire Department was first on the scene and initiated an interior attack on the blaze.
“When the smoke is black, like the somke we encountered, and it’s super thick smoke, you can’t even see your hand in front of your face,” Ullman said.
They found the fire in the attic, and Ullman had to use a device to cut holes in the ceiling so a lineman could spray water on the fire.
“Before I could even turn my head, I saw a little bit of glow and then everything flashed. So spontaneous combustion,” Ullman said. “It was combusted real quick and resulted in the nozzle fireman going down the stairs against his will.”
Almost instantly, Ullman’s uniform was on fire, and he searched for the stairs to get out.
“So I’m trying to find my way and I’m coming to a block, which I think is either partial collapse from the ceiling or I didn’t know what it was. But I can feel I’m blocked down here but I have availability up here. There’s open space,” Ullman said.
“So I was just burning. I got to get out. So anywhere is better than where I was so I’m just going to jump over this.”
He said it wasn’t the opening to the stairs, but a banister. He fell about 15 feet onto the main floor and scrambled toward the light.
He says his chief ran inside trying to save him, but eventually made it back out. The fire left three crew members hurt.
“I’m just grateful to be here and thankful for the training and good quality gear that Pineville provides for me,” Ullman said.
3 firefighters hurt in Indian Land fire
All three firefighters who were hurt are expected to make a full recovery after being transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.
The Indian Land Fire District reported that its crews, alongside the Pineville Fire Department, responded to the structure fire.
The Indian Land Fire District stated that this incident serves as a sobering reminder of how demanding and hazardous the fire service can be.
The family who lives at the home was able to get out before things got bad. The state is still investigating what caused the fire.